NUG defuses tensions with allied group in Sagaing’s Mingin Township

Armed groups opposed to Myanmar’s military agreed last week to withdraw from Sagaing Region’s Mingin Township as tensions between them threatened to turn into a full-blown conflict. The dispute, between the Mingin Township People’s Defence Organisation (PDO) and the Student Revolutionary Force (SRF), began on January 22 over the issue of administrative control of villages along the Chindwin River northwest of the town of Mingin. On January 25, as the confrontation continued to escalate, local residents sent an open letter to both groups demanding that they leave the area and resolve the issue through negotiation. In response, the National Unity Government’s Ministry of Defence commander for Kalay District met with representatives of the SRF’s Allied Relations Department on February 3 to discuss the matter, and the two sides agreed to withdraw forces starting from 6pm that evening. “The district commander expressed concern that our presence could lead to the regime carrying out airstrikes on the villages, which would dishonour both our armies, so we agreed to leave,” explained SRF chair San Tin Tun. He added that earlier talks with the Mingin Township PDO, which is under the command of the Ministry of Defence, had been unsuccessful. “We saw local residents fleeing because they feared trouble if the two forces clashed. This negotiation was done for the good of everyone and for the sake of the revolution. We thank the district command group for this,” San Tin Tun told Myanmar Now. Nyo, the head of the Mingin Township PDO, confirmed that both sides agreed to withdraw their troops, but added that some village tract-level PDO and People’s Administration Organisation (PAO) members would remain in the area. “It was negotiated that SRF troops stationed in Yay Myay must depart and that both main forces withdraw from the village entirely. Only the village tract PDO and PAO will stay to handle administrative and defence matters,” he said. According to San Tin Tun, however, the PDO and PAO members will only be allowed to administer the villages with the consent of the majority of residents, which he said was unlikely. A local man familiar with the situation said that the tensions appeared to be resolved, but only partly, as the SRF still has supporters in the affected villages. “Though things seem settled for now, it looks like a situation that could flare up again at any time,” he said. Another local source told Myanmar Now that residents of Shantaw, one of the affected villages are demanding that both sides leave. “They don’t want either force in the village. Children are about to take their mid-year exams so people are worried about fighting. Schools can’t open, and we hear students will have to go to other villages to sit their exams,” the source added. The SRF, established in October 2021, is estimated to have around 500 personnel. Trained and equipped by the Arakan Army, it has gained combat experience through joint operations. It is closely allied with the People’s Liberation Army, the armed wing of the Communist Party of Burma, as well as the People’s Revolution Front and the People’s Democratic Army. Late last year, the Mingin Township People’s Security Organisation—the NUG’s law enforcement arm in areas under its control—came under fire for its treatment of a doctor operating a clinic in the township. Dr. Khin Thu Thu Lwin was detained on November 30 for repeatedly failing to appear when summoned to testify at an inquiry into her conduct in the Mingin Township PAO, in which she served until her removal in September 2024. The use of force and handcuffs during the arrest drew widespread public criticism at the time.

NUG defuses tensions with allied group in Sagaing’s Mingin Township

The two sides agreed to withdraw troops from villages along the Chindwin River as their dispute threatened to escalate into conflict

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