TNLA publicly defies China’s demand to return captured towns; junta responds with fresh airstrikes

The Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) has publicly rejected pressure from China to relinquish control of territory seized from Myanmar’s junta, in stark contrast to other ethnic armed groups that have yielded to Beijing’s directives behind closed doors. On Saturday, following a series of talks brokered by China in late April, the TNLA said the regime demanded the return of five key towns—Kyaukme, Nawnghkio, Mongmit, Mogok, and Hsipaw—captured by the group last year during the second phase of Operation 1027, an ongoing anti-junta offensive launched in late 2023. These towns are situated along crucial trade arteries linking central Myanmar to the Chinese border. While the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), a close ally of the TNLA operating on the China-Myanmar border, recently ceded urban areas of Lashio, northern Shan State’s largest city, to the regime under Chinese oversight, the TNLA has taken the unprecedented step of openly defying similar pressure, explicitly naming China as the source of this demand. “China’s approach has always been: ‘No fighting near the border, no fighting along China’s gas pipeline in Myanmar, and no fighting near their economic interests or factories.’ They’ve said this directly in person, sent messages through intermediaries, and kept repeating it,” said TNLA spokesperson Colonel Tar Pan La during an online press briefing over the weekend. Tar Pan La, who also serves as deputy general secretary (2) of the Palaung State Liberation Front, the TNLA’s political wing, insisted the group would never betray the sacrifices made by its troops and allied resistance forces by giving up control of hard-won territory. He emphasised, however, that the TNLA’s objectives in fighting the regime were not merely territorial; its ultimate aim is to dismantle the military’s oppressive rule and establish a federal democratic union in its place, he said. A rare show of defiance The TNLA’s open defiance of Beijing is uncommon in Myanmar’s volatile borderlands, where China has long exerted considerable influence over various ethnic armed groups through a combination of diplomatic, economic, and at times, military pressure. Beijing’s primary concerns lie in maintaining stability along its border and safeguarding its significant infrastructure projects, most notably the China-Myanmar gas pipeline. Beyond this, however, many analysts say that it also aims to prevent the collapse of the regime and the victory of pro-democracy groups. Since 2024, China has employed economic leverage, imposing trade restrictions by closing vital border crossings in response to escalating clashes and the junta’s mounting losses. TNLA leaders contend that these measures have disproportionately harmed civilians, disrupting their livelihoods and hindering crucial border commerce. “We’ve seen this before—ceasefires that only buy time for the junta to regroup,” Tar Pan La stated pointedly. “This time, we’re not playing along. Dialogue must reflect reality, not just serve foreign interests.” TNLA soldiers examine weapons and ammunition seized at the junta’s Sakhan Thit hill base in Namkham Township, which the group captured in December last year (Myat Pan/Myanmar Now) The beleaguered junta has also demanded that the TNLA withdraw its forces from Namtu and Mantong, areas designated as “self-administered zones” under the military-drafted 2008 Constitution, but now under the control of resistance forces. Despite China’s attempts to de-escalate the situation, the junta has intensified its military operations in TNLA-held territories. Over the weekend, airstrikes targeted Nawnghkio and Mogok townships, resulting in civilian casualties and damage to religious buildings in Mogok. Fresh airstrikes were also reported in the town of Kyaukme on Monday. The TNLA spokesperson said the group maintains its willingness to engage in dialogue, but insisted that any discussions must acknowledge the sacrifices made by its fighters and respect the will of local people. The next round of negotiations between the junta and the TNLA is tentatively scheduled for August. Following the MNDAA’s withdrawal from Lashio, analysts suggest that Beijing appears keen to facilitate the reopening of border trade under the junta’s authority. However, Lashio itself remains surrounded by towns under the control of both the TNLA and the MNDAA, including Hsipaw and Kyaume. A market in Lashio is seen before the withdrawal of MNDAA forces (Photo: Myat Pan) Border trade outlook remains uncertain A border-based trader from Muse, speaking to Myanmar Now on condition of anonymity due to security concerns, said that China’s pressure on the MNDAA to return Lashio to junta control was partly motivated by the desire to revive the multi-million-dollar border trade route between the two nations. Among the major border gates in northern Shan State, those located in central Muse Township—the Nantaw, Sinphyu, and Manwein gates—are currently under the control of the junta’s forces. In contrast, the Kyinsankyawt gate, situated in Muse’s 105-Mile Trade Zone, is jointly administered by the Brotherhood Alliance, of which the TNLA and MNDAA are key members. The MNDAA continues to hold strategically important border towns, including Chin Shwe Haw, Laukkai, Mong Ko, and Kyukok (Peng Sai). With Lashio now reportedly back under junta control, sources within the trading community indicate that regime authorities are hopeful of re-establishing trade corridors stretching from Mandalay to the Chinese border and from Lashio through Mong Yaw and Kyethi into southern Shan State. However, a trader based in Namkham cautioned that the feasibility of this plan remains highly uncertain. The TNLA continues to control Hsipaw, Nawnghkio, and Kyaukme—vital towns along the Mandalay-Lashio highway—while Kutkai, north of Lashio on the road to Muse, is under the control of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). Without secure access through these key points, the trader emphasised, the flow of trade traffic from the border to central Myanmar remains significantly disrupted. China, which had previously closed key trade gates in response to the intensifying conflict, reopened some of them earlier this year. Border trade has since partially resumed in areas around Muse, including exports of cattle, charcoal, and sugarcane, and imports primarily consisting of foodstuffs and clothing. Military-controlled customs gates in Muse are currently processing goods, excluding machinery and electronics, indicating a limited but nascent revival of cross-border commerce.

TNLA publicly defies China’s demand to return captured towns; junta responds with fresh airstrikes

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