Most civilians choose to stay in TNLA-controlled areas despite worries after martial law declaration

Since Myanmar’s military regime declared martial law last week in northern Shan State jurisdictions under the de facto authority of an ethnic armed organisation, locals fear the relative normalcy they have experienced for two months will soon be disrupted. The Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) seized control of the townships of Namhsan, Manton, and Namtu in December of 2023 as part of a coordinated offensive against the Myanmar military by the organisation and its allies, dubbed ‘Operation 1027.’ The junta announced on March 4 that they would impose martial law on the same three townships. One Namhsan resident told Myanmar Now that, notwithstanding widespread concerns that the declaration might signal the junta’s intent to launch air raids or other attacks on the town, most of the civilian population has chosen not to leave. “Some have already fled the town but about 90 percent are still here despite their worries about airstrikes,” the Namhsan resident said. Namhsan seen in December 2023, shortly after the TNLA captured the town from junta forces (Photo: Ta’ang Women’s Organisation) The regime’s air force bombed Namhsan heavily after the TNLA wrested control of the town from its ground troops in mid-December. Even after the TNLA and its allies agreed to a Chinese-brokered, temporary ceasefire with the military in January, locals often saw reconnaissance planes and other military aircraft flying overhead. Residents said that blocked roads and limited access to healthcare facilities have also caused some difficulties in their daily lives. However, one Namhsan resident said life in the town had largely returned to normal under the TNLA’s control, especially after inhabitants returned to their homes in January and February. “All the shops, restaurants, and hotels have reopened, and the town is back to normal. We can even roam around the town at night, so we don’t feel a need to flee our homes,” the resident said. “Many houses have basements here, so we can use that as a bomb shelter and we don’t need to dig one.” Nonetheless, he acknowledged that if clashes start again in the town, he and his family would have no choice but to leave. “We’ll need to evacuate to nearby villages if fighting erupts again,” he said. Namhsan and Manton townships have symbolic as well as strategic significance to the Ta’ang people and the TNLA. The two townships comprise the Palaung Self-Administered Zone (SAZ), an area designated for autonomous government by the Ta’ang ethnic community—also known as the Palaung people—in Myanmar’s military-drafted 2008 constitution. The neighbouring township of Namtu is best known for its silver mining industry and lucrative mineral resources, as well as having strategic significance due to its proximity to Lashio, northern Shan State’s largest city. It is not part of the Palaung SAZ but has a sizable Ta’ang population. Namtu, located some 55 miles east of Namhsan, fell to the TNLA on December 28 and was the fourth town the organisation captured during Operation 1027. The TNLA had restored access to basic amenities while in control of the town, civilian residents of Namtu said, and most felt safe enough to return to their homes within weeks after the TNLA took over. However, they still considered the junta’s declaration of martial law a cause for serious concern. “People have been overwhelmed with fear since the martial law order went into force because they have nowhere to run,” a social welfare volunteer in Namtu said. “Many people also do not know how to build a safe, functional bomb shelter,” he added. He and other volunteers said that one civilian had died on Saturday when a bomb shelter of her own making collapsed while she was inside. The TNLA and its ally, the ethnically Kokang Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, have suspended hostilities with regime forces in northern Shan State since the Chinese-brokered temporary ceasefire with the military went into effect in January. During the truce, the TNLA has assumed responsibility for governance and administration in the northern Shan State towns they captured during Operation 1027, which have remained under their control.

Most civilians choose to stay in TNLA-controlled areas despite worries after martial law declaration

Although the junta’s declaration has prompted concern that there will be more violence, residents of Namhsan, Manton, and Namtu have so far felt safe under the TNLA and are reluctant to leave

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