O’ Northern Roads: Subcontracting Sovereignty

Events 

 The MNDAA removed its flags and Special Region (1) flags raised in Lashio. Guo Jiakun, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, formally confirmed that this withdrawal was possible thanks to Chinese mediation. During the Kunming Talks on April 28-29, mediated by China, the SAC demanded that the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (PSLF/TNLA) withdraw from five towns they captured. The following press conference on May 4 by the PSLF/TNLA stated, “No agreement was reached.” Another round of talks is planned in August. On May 1, the Three Brotherhood

Alliance (3BHA) announced an extension of its unilateral ceasefire for another month to continue the earthquake relief efforts. The military junta also declared on May 6 that it would extend the temporary ceasefire until May 31.

Preliminary Analysis

The Lashio incident marks a significant turning point not only for the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), which had to relinquish the city, but also for China’s initiative and the history of Myanmar’s conflict resolution, since a critical shift at the time of

ceasefires in 1989. In 1989, led by then- Brigadier General (later General) Khin Nyunt, ceasefires were negotiated with two ethnic armies that had broken away from the Communist Party of Burma (CPB): the MNDAA (April 14) and the UWSA (May 18). Following the ceasefire with Northern groups, around 17 major armed groups, including the Pa-O National Organization (PNO), Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), and New Mon State Party (NMSP), also entered into ceasefires with the then military regime. For ethnic armed groups, these agreements meant they could retain their weapons and control designated territories without disarmament. Negotiations included diverse issues from establishing checkpoints to launching liaison offices.

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