Forces from the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) have removed machinery and medical equipment from Lashio General Hospital as they prepare to leave northern Shan State’s largest city later this month, according to local residents.
The group, also know as the Kokang Army, is expected to withdraw from Lashio by April 21, following pressure from China to hand control of the city back to Myanmar’s military junta after capturing it in August of last year.
While some Kokang troops remain in the city, the MNDAA has already begun moving its administrative staff, equipment, and documents out of Lashio since the beginning of this month, according to a local man who spoke to Myanmar Now on condition of anonymity.
“They have taken away all of the hospital’s equipment and everything electrical, including transformers and even electric wires,” the man said.
Most of the hospital staff, including healthcare workers taking part in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) against military rule, have relocated to Hsenwi, some 30 miles northeast of Lashio, and other MNDAA-controlled towns, he added.
Another resident of the city, a man in his 60s, said that Lashio Hospital has been discharging patients since April 3 and is no longer accepting new patients.
“If you need medical treatment now, you have to go to Hsenwi— they’ve moved everything there. The hospital is open, but they’re not accepting patients anymore,” the man said.
The MNDAA has yet to issue a statement regarding the changes in Lashio, which it captured eight months ago as part of the second phase of Operation 1027, an offensive that it launched with its allies in October 2023.
Soon after taking control of the city, the group established a health department that included CDM doctors and hospital staff. Under their guidance, Lashio General Hospital continued to function as the region’s main healthcare facility.
While Kokang troops must withdraw from Lashio’s 12 urban wards as part of a deal reached late last month, they will continue to control surrounding villages and some main roads, and will also maintain a police presence in the city after junta administrators return.
According to the man in his 60s, aircraft can be heard flying over Lashio every night. He added that many residents have also begun leaving in anticipation of the turnover.
“It’s easy for people to leave the city right now—the liberated areas are quite close by. That’s where most people will go, including me,” he said.
Meanwhile, markets in Lashio continue to function normally, although they are less busy than usual, according to residents.
Since launching Operation 1027 with its allies the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the Arakan Army (AA), the MNDAA has taken control of a number of key towns in northern Shan State. In addition to Lashio, Hsenwi, and Kunlong, it also captured Laukkai, the administrative centre of the Kokang Self-Administered Zone, located on the border with China.
Lashio, a major regional trading hub, is also where the junta’s Northeastern Regional Military Command (RMC) was headquartered, making the fall of the city the military’s most significant defeat in decades.
Late last year, the AA also captured the Western RMC headquarters in Rakhine State’s Ann Township, in another major blow to the regime.
While the MNDAA faces intense pressure from China to end its hostilities with the Myanmar junta, the TNLA and the AA continue to engage in clashes with the regime, with the AA now controlling most of Rakhine State.
