Leader of Myanmar ethnic army being held in China: sources

The leader of one of the ethnic armed groups responsible for inflicting unprecedented losses on Myanmar’s military over the past year has been detained by Chinese authorities, sources have confirmed. Peng Daxun, 59, the commander of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), has been held in China’s Yunnan Province since he was summoned there for a meeting with a senior Chinese official late last month, the sources said. The MNDAA, an ethnic Kokang armed group, is a key member of an alliance of anti-regime forces that has captured a wide swathe of territory across northern Shan State since launching a major offensive in October of last year. The group’s recent successes include its seizure of Lashio, the region’s largest city and the seat of the junta’s Northeastern Regional Military Command. The fall of Lashio in early August marked a turning point in the armed resistance movement against Myanmar’s military, which seized power in a coup nearly four years ago. Hundreds of junta soldiers were either killed, captured, or forced to retreat, raising hopes among the Myanmar public for the imminent collapse of the regime. However, the junta’s stunning defeat also sparked concern in China, which has historically supported Myanmar’s successive military dictatorships. Fearing that the collapse of the junta could jeopardise its strategic interests in the region, particularly its access to the Indian Ocean, China has pressured the MNDAA and other armed groups opposed to the regime, including by blocking vital supplies of food and fuel to areas under their control. Chinese officials are also said to have called on the MNDAA to pull its forces out of Lashio and cease its attacks on junta targets. It was in this context that Peng was asked to meet with China’s special envoy for Asian affairs, Deng Xijun, in a city in Yunnan near the Myanmar border last month. While the precise details of the meeting remain unclear, sources suggest the discussion focused on the potential withdrawal of MNDAA forces from Lashio. Since the meeting, Peng has not been allowed to return to Myanmar. Sources from within the resistance movement told Myanmar Now that Peng is now under house arrest in China. A well-placed source in Yunnan confirmed that Peng is “under control,” although he is reportedly still in contact with MNDAA commanders. The group has remained tight-lipped about the status of its leader. According to sources close to the MNDAA, Peng has vowed to “sacrifice his life” rather than allow the group to be pressured into withdrawing its troops from Lashio. Peng is the son of MNDAA founder Pheung Kya-shin (Peng Jiasheng). He has played a central role in the fate of the Kokang people, whose homeland lies in northeastern Shan State. His family has been a dominant force in the region for more than three decades. As tensions escalate along the China-Myanmar border, it remains unclear what impact Peng’s detention will have on the resistance movement, but his unwavering stance is likely to embolden the MNDAA’s fight against the junta.

Leader of Myanmar ethnic army being held in China: sources

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