Stung by defeat in Lashio, Myanmar junta stages rallies in Yangon and Naypyitaw

Hundreds of regime supporters gathered in Yangon and Naypyitaw on Tuesday to protest the takeover of northern Shan State’s largest city by the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA). The ethnic Kokang armed group and its allies claimed full control of Lashio over the weekend after successfully overrunning the junta’s Northeastern Regional Military Command headquarters in the city on Saturday. The defeat was a major blow to the regime, prompting it on Monday to accuse unnamed “foreign powers” of backing the MNDAA and other “extremist” groups. At a rally held near Sule Pagoda in downtown Yangon on Tuesday morning, protesters held banners condemning the MNDAA for the death of civilians killed by the fighting for control of Lashio and praising junta soldiers for giving their lives to defend the city. “This rally is to condemn the MNDAA, also known as the so-called Kokang extremists, and its allied groups for their brutality in killing over 100 civilians,” read one huge protest banner. Another banner in English held by a supporter said: “A righteous war must be won. Eradicate all subversives.” “Please get rid of those extremists and anarchists ruining the country,” said another written in Burmese. Regime supporters hold banners denouncing the MNDAA at a rally held in downtown Yangon on August 6 (Pro-regime Telegram channels) A reporter for Myanmar Now who attempted to enter the cordoned-off protest site said that he was turned away because it was only open to pre-approved individuals, suggesting that the entire event was carefully orchestrated by the regime. Tellingly, pro-junta Telegram channels reported that some protesters called the MNDAA “Yunnan Chinese extremists,” referring to the Chinese origins of the Kokang people. While the regime has been careful not to point a finger directly at China—historically the Myanmar military’s closest international ally—it has pointed out that armed groups based along their shared border have had access to a wide array of weapons. In Naypyitaw, the junta’s capital, security forces guarded a protest site as dozens of cars arrived carrying regime supporters, including nationalist Buddhist monks. “We don’t want foreign armed groups killing innocent civilians,” said some in attendance at the rally, implying that the MNDAA is not merely a political opponent of the regime, but a violator of Myanmar’s sovereignty. Since seizing power in February 2021, the regime has faced a multifaceted civil war throughout the country, involving both ethnic armed groups and newly formed resistance groups vowing to overthrow the dictatorship.

Stung by defeat in Lashio, Myanmar junta stages rallies in Yangon and Naypyitaw

The protests continue the regime’s efforts to blame “foreign powers” for its latest major loss in the battlefield

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