Tensions flare as Myanmar resistance forces clash over checkpoint in Sagaing’s Pale Township

A clash between National Unity Government (NUG) forces and members of another anti-regime group broke out on Saturday in Sagaing Region’s Pale Township, in the latest dispute over control of security checkpoints in the resistance-dominated area. The incident occurred shortly before noon, when troops from the Burma National Revolutionary Army (BNRA) opened fire on a checkpoint near the village of Pan, according to NUG sources. The BNRA, a local group that operates independently of the NUG’s People’s Defence Force (PDF), rose to prominence in late 2024 during a resistance offensive to capture the town of Pale, which is currently under junta control. “Some BNRA members arrived, some in civilian clothes, some in uniforms. The comrades at the checkpoint thought they were just passing through, but then some shots were fired,” said Dr. Nan Win, deputy head of the NUG’s People’s Defence Organisation in Pale Township. “The officer on duty at the gate, Min Khaing, and two others were forced to lie face down on the ground, and the BNRA members proceeded to hit and beat them with rifle butts,” he told Myanmar Now on Saturday. More shots were fired soon after Zaw Htet, the leader of the NUG’s local People’s Administrative Organisation, arrived on the scene with a security detail. Zaw Htet was unharmed, but one of the security officers was shot in the leg, according to Dr. Nan Win. The BNRA detained Min Khaing and seized two weapons—an MA 1 rifle and a pistol—following the altercation, he added. According to NUG Prime Minister’s Office spokesperson Nay Phone Latt, some tax revenue was also taken from the checkpoint, which had been set up near the entrance to the village. The flare-up occurred just over a week after PDF battalions under NUG district command seized control over two BNRA toll gates in Pale Township on January 9. The BNRA did not respond to requests for comment on the latest incident, but its leader, Bo Nagar, wrote on social media that only four members of his group were involved, and that responsible authorities were resolving the matter. In an interview with the BBC’s Burmese-language service, he said that his group was responding to complaints from local civilians about the checkpoint, which was also used to collect taxes, adding that it had not been properly authorised. Dr. Nan Win denied this, however. “It is absolutely not true that we didn’t give authorisation. Since it’s a township-level designated tax gate, it definitely has authorisation given by the NUG,” he said, adding that the BNRA has reopened one of the gates that had been closed on January 9 and was demanding money from locals. This is not the first time that there has been friction between the NUG and other resistance forces in the area over the issue of taxation. In October of last year, the NUG closed a toll gate operated by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the military wing of the Communist Party of Burma, near the village of Yaykyaw in Pale Township. Six PLA members were detained and later released. Some observers noted that the tensions over control of toll gates comes as Myanmar’s military intensifies its operations in resistance-held areas after reaching a series of ceasefires with ethnic Kokang and Ta’ang armed groups last year. The situation has put pressure on groups operating in more central parts of the country, many of which face challenges in financing their anti-regime activities. It has also prompted many groups to cooperate more closely to counter the impact of China’s moves to help the regime consolidate its control over the country five years after it seized power.

Tensions flare as Myanmar resistance forces clash over checkpoint in Sagaing’s Pale Township

The incident is just the latest in recent months as the National Unity Government and rival groups seek to assert control over taxation

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