Rebel Group Claims Capture of Major Military HQ in Shan State

[reader]

From The Diplomat

A Myanmar rebel group claims to have seized a major regional military headquarters in the city of Lashio near the border with China, in what would mark a historic and humiliating defeat for the country’s military junta.

In a Chinese-language statement published on its Facebook page yesterday, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) said that it had completely captured the military’s Northeastern Regional Command headquarters at 4 a.m. that morning, after 23 days of fighting. “The liberation of Lashio will mark a historic victory in our revolution,” the group declared.

The MNDAA also claimed to have established effective control over the city of Lashio, which lies 110 kilometers south of the Chinese border.

“Our army has won a decisive victory and is now clearing out the remaining enemy troops. The city is now declared completely liberated,” it added, urging the public to remain calm and comply with its administration of the city.

However, the situation remains fluid and conditions on the ground are hard to verify. The Irrawaddy, citing “sources close to resistance forces on the ground,” reported that the city of 170,000 is not yet under full MNDAA control and that clashes are still going on in parts of the city. Myanmar Now, citing local sources, reported that fighting was ongoing but that MNDAA troops “have already entered the city’s downtown core, and were seen approaching the airport [yesterday] afternoon.”

For what it’s worth, the military State Administration Council (SAC), the junta’s official name, denied that the Northeastern Regional Command had been overrun, with spokesperson Zaw Min Tun stating that its forces military were currently conducting clearance operations near the headquarters.

The MNDAA’s sensational announcement came a day after its ally, the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), reported that it had established control over Mogok, a ruby-mining center around 230 kilometers west of Lashio.

The MNDAA and TNLA are members of the Three Brotherhood Alliance, which has been spearheading a multi-pronged offensive against junta positions across northern Shan State and parts of Mandalay Region. During its initial phase from October to January, the surprise offensive, known as Operation 1027 after the date of its commencement, saw the groups capture large swathes of territory in northern Shan State, including numerous towns and several important border crossings with China. The most significant of these was the MNDAA’s reconquest of the ethnic Chinese-dominated Kokang region, from which the military had expelled it in 2009.

[bkkmfj2648]

@reader thanks for sharing this interesting Myanmar article with all of us.

For those of you who will be or are already in Pattaya, this Wednesday, 31 July 2024, the PCEC Pattaya City Expats Club will give a presentation led by Kevin Kirk, where the topic title is:  "The Myanmar Mess and Beyond".

The start time is at 10:30am at the Holiday Inn Executive Tower 4th floor conference room.

[Moses]

23 hours ago, reader said:

In a Chinese-language statement published on its Facebook page yesterday, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) said that it had completely captured the military’s Northeastern Regional Command headquarters at 4 a.m. that morning, after 23 days of fighting. “The liberation of Lashio will mark a historic victory in our revolution,” the group declared.

The MNDAA also claimed to have established effective control over the city of Lashio, which lies 110 kilometers south of the Chinese border.

Again? They declared that 3 times already: at past summer, autumn, and spring.

The group was formed on 12 March 1989, after the local head of the local Communist Party of Burma, Pheung Kya-shin (also spelt Peng Jia Sheng or Phone Kyar Shin), dissatisfied with the communist government, broke away and formed the MNDAA. MNDAA has held multiple public executions. The European Union condemned the executions "in the strongest term", calling them "an inhuman and degrading punishment that represents an ultimate denial of human dignity". - WIKI

These are fighting for control over opium region Kokang.

Situation as of May 2024.

 

The most predictable future of this conflict on the territory of the North of Shan state: all these parts of  "brotherhood of the Ring" will forget "liberation" and will start to fight each over for to control over opium fields and jade and ruby mines in region if they will have success in pushing Myanmar national army out of region.

[reader]

35 minutes ago, Moses said:

The most predictable future of this conflict on the territory of the North of Shan state: all these parts of  "brotherhood of the Ring" will forget "liberation" and will start to fight each over for to control over opium fields and jade and ruby mines in region if they will have success in pushing Myanmar national army out of region.

I think it's way too soon to judge their motives when the forces who oppose them are supporting the most treacherous and corrupt junta in Asia. I prefer to judge the Myanmar Nation Army by its declared allies: China and Russia.

[Moses]

1 hour ago, reader said:

I think it's way too soon to judge their motives when the forces who oppose them are supporting the most treacherous and corrupt junta in Asia.

It is just western propaganda. Myanmar (Burma) got independence in 1948. And all these nationalistic elites from Burmese states started to fight for control of local resources just few months after. In each Burmese state exists at least two, but mostly 3 or 4 different "Liberation Armies" which over 80 years already fighting each other. 

And all these "liberation forces" existed 70 years before "the most treacherous and corrupt junta in Asia" appeared on the political scene of Myanmar... Each "army" has own sponsors - some sponsors are Chinese origin, some are CIA origin, some have links to Thailand and Vietnam. And each sponsor dreams to control ruby, jade, and even opium. 

It is just war for resources in Golden triangle for interests of different elites under cover of "liberation", "democratization" and other "-tions"...

In Thailand army successfully controls situation and keeps civil order. In Burma state army isn't that successful. That's all.

To support these "liberation" gangs is the same as to support radicals from Southern Thai provinces.

[reader]

2 hours ago, Moses said:

In Burma state army isn't that successful. That's all.

I believe there's a bit more to the story than that.

2 hours ago, Moses said:

It is just western propaganda.

Certainly no propaganda for the junta and its supporters in Russia and China. 😄

[Moses]

2 hours ago, reader said:

Certainly no propaganda for the junta and its supporters in Russia and China.

Well, then you very easy may find who are sponsors of "liberation" gangs, because gangs can't fight without weapon, and they have weapon. Now you know source.

[Raposa]

This is what makes the Myanmar conflict so difficult to comprehend for outsiders. The multitude of local armies with differing interests and ideologies makes it difficult to make a simple elevator pitch explaining it all. It is not simply a democratic struggle. This is what many western observers simplify the conflict to be, and while certainly a few armies fight for this, the majority of the conflict is about resources and race. We have reports about the majority Bamar people who comprise 70% of the population, being refused entry to some ethnic controlled areas in the north.

The junta is trying to balance out the influence of China, and it did that by relying on the West. Now that option is not on the table so they must rely on Russia, but Russia has not got strong interests in the area and is engaged elsewhere. The support is not substantial.

[12is12]

There is one thing crystal clear about this VERY complicated situation: 

The junta AND the bamar majority AND most of the other ethnicities support/ed the genocidal ethnic cleansing of the Rohingan. 

The whole country should b boycotted.

[Marc in Calif]

3 hours ago, 12is12 said:

The junta AND the bamar majority AND most of the other ethnicities support/ed the genocidal ethnic cleansing of the Rohingan [sic].

You would have gotten closer had you used your typical shorthand writing: Rohga. 😐

[Moses]

11 hours ago, 12is12 said:

The junta AND the bamar majority AND most of the other ethnicities support/ed the genocidal ethnic cleansing of the Rohingan.

You forgot to add that the Rohingya (Bengali) is an ethnic group whose leaders support separatist sentiments, which has 2 of its own armies, and within which several relatively large Islamic terrorist groups operate.

The situation with the Rohingya is distorted by Western media.

Let me remind you that Nobel Peace Laureate and leader of Myanmar opposition Aung San Suu Kyi was on the side of the junta on the Rohingya issue, recognizing that numerous terrorist groups and guerrilla actions by the Rohingya armies posed a threat to Myanmar's sovereignty.

Moreover, it was during the Rohingya crisis that she was the state counsellor.

[12is12]

YES

Her prize should have been revoked

[Raposa]

13 hours ago, 12is12 said:

The whole country should b boycotted.

You don’t solve a problem with rats by burning the entire house… 

[Raposa]

1 hour ago, Moses said:

You forgot to add that the Rohingya (Bengali) is an ethnic group whose leaders support separatist sentiments, which has 2 of its own armies, and within which several relatively large Islamic terrorist groups operate.

The situation with the Rohingya is distorted by Western media.

Let me remind you that Nobel Peace Laureate and leader of Myanmar opposition Aung San Suu Kyi was on the side of the junta on the Rohingya issue, recognizing that numerous terrorist groups and guerrilla actions by the Rohingya armies posed a threat to Myanmar's sovereignty.

Moreover, it was during the Rohingya crisis that she was the state counsellor.

This is why so few countries have supported a call to actually designate the Rohingya issue as a genocide in the legal sense. 

[12is12]

No, thats not the reason.

I'm a PhD in International Relations.

Coumtries dont designate "genocide", bcs it obliges them to act. Better to deny ignore fumble-mumble procrastinate.

[Raposa]

3 hours ago, 12is12 said:

Coumtries dont designate "genocide", bcs it obliges them to act. Better to deny ignore fumble-mumble procrastinate.

If you say so