Militia backed by Myanmar regime defects to Shan armed group

Subscribe to the Myanmar Now daily newsletter. It's free. Sign up > A pro-regime ethnic militia based in northern Shan State has returned to the Shan armed group that it broke away from more than a decade ago, in the latest sign of the junta’s diminishing influence in the region. The Sein Kyawt People’s Militia—formerly Brigade 3 of the Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA)—rejoined the group late last week, the SSPP/SSA said in a statement. The militia was one of seven summoned by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing during a visit to northern Shan State in September of last year, just weeks before the start of Operation 1027, the anti-junta offensive that has since dramatically altered Myanmar’s political landscape. That meeting, held to ensure the loyalty of the militias, took place at the headquarters of the Northeastern Regional Military Command in Lashio, which was captured last month by the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA). The Sein Kyawt militia was formed in 2010, when ceasefire armed groups were pressured to become border guard forces or militias under the junta army’s command ahead of that year’s elections. While Brigade 1 of the SSPP/SSA resisted and continued to operate independently of the military, Brigade 3, based in Hsipaw Township, agreed to the transition. Members of the Sein Kyawt militia arrived in Wan Hai, where the SSPP/SSA is headquartered, last week to announce their defection, the SSPP/SSA said in a statement released on September 5. Myanmar Now has reached out to the SSPP/SSA spokesperson for comment, but has not received a response. It is a longstanding practice of Myanmar’s military to encourage members of armed groups to split and form smaller groups that can be used to counter their parent organisations. However, under Min Aung Hlaing, this strategy has largely failed due to unprecedented levels of coordination among anti-regime forces. Meanwhile, the regime has been pressured to arrest a number of militia leaders in connection with illegal activities along the border with China. Col. Wai Hsan, head of the Kokang People’s Militia, was arrested in Naypyitaw earlier this year and was subsequently turned over to Chinese authorities. Members of the group later surrendered to the MNDAA. Similarly, Khin Maung Lwin (Bai Yingneng), leader of the Htinpakeng People’s Militia, has been out of the public eye since his father, Bai Souqian, and younger brother, Bai Yingcang, were handed over to China. Another group, the Namkham Myoma People’s Militia, lost its headquarters late last year, when the Ta’ang National Liberation Army seized control of Namkham less than two months after the launch of Operation 1027.

Militia backed by Myanmar regime defects to Shan armed group

The move is the latest sign of the junta’s weakening hold over northern Shan State

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