Ethnic rebels have taken control of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army’s Kokang regional command center in northern Shan state, despite military assets and a large stockpile of arms and ammunition. The MNDAA seized control of the city of Laukkai, despite the presence of seven military battalions under the Regional Operation Command. The junta’s 55th Division, recently mobilized to counter an ethnic offensive, is now in complete control of Laukkai. The junta’s 55th Division is reportedly based there.
The Three Brotherhood Alliance, comprising the MNDAA, Ta’ang National Liberation Army, and Arakan Army, has claimed that around 2,389 troops and their families have surrendered to its forces following the attack on the Laukkaing Regional Operation Command. The junta troops and their families were sent to Lashio, the largest city in northern Shan state and the headquarters of the military’s Northeast Command. Videos of junta soldiers surrendering to the MNDAA quickly gained attention on social media, with some soldiers allowed to leave using motorbikes, while their families were transported by trucks and private cars.
Pro-junta channels on social media platform Telegram claimed that the military had not entirely evacuated the Laukkaing Regional Operation Command, and family members and injured soldiers were taken to Lashio with the assistance of area charity groups. The region is experiencing a significant disruption in its communication and information systems due to the loss of telephone and internet services.
The military and MNDAA have not issued an official statement regarding the surrender in Laukkai, and RFA’s attempts to contact their spokespersons have been unsuccessful. The junta has been under pressure to arrest members of the Kokang region administration for their suspected involvement in online scam syndicates and has recently replaced Myint Swe, the chairman of the Kokang Self-Administered Zone.
The Myanmar National Liberation Army (MNDAA) has seized a military outpost in Laukkai, a region in Myanmar, following a recent military conflict. The rebels blocked all routes leading to Laukkai and seized the outpost on December 5. The MNDAA also occupied the villages of Yan Long Keng and Tar Shwe Htan near the base. A military observer in Shan state stated that the decision to surrender was made solely by the Regional Operation Command, who may have discussed a possible retreat of military forces.
Aung Myo, a former military officer and political commentator, argued that the Regional Operation Command in Laukkai was a base camp, which limited the junta’s ability to respond to the attack. The military strategy to establish the base there was poor, as it was not a combat position on the frontlines. An earlier attack by anti-junta forces on the base on November 12 resulted in the surrender of 129 soldiers and 262 of their family members.
Following the surrender of military forces in Laukkai, the Three Brotherhood Alliance launched an attack on Hopang township in the Wa Self-Administered Region, located 6.5 kilometers away from Chinshwehaw in Shan’s Laukkaing township. MNDAA took control of Chinshwehaw after Operation 1027, while anti-junta forces searched for police, soldiers, militia fighters, and online scam gang members. United Wa State Army occupied Pang Long and Hopang.
National War College professor Abuza believes that the MNDAA should allow an orderly withdrawal of junta troops from Laukkai to Lashio, which appears to be the SAC’s new defensive perimeter. He also expects the Three Brotherhood Alliance to move on Muse, which would give them substantial control over border trade with China. The loss of the base in Laukkai would lead to a significant loss of revenue for the junta, including its ability to pay for border guards forces. The MNDAA is expected to quickly hunt down scam operators and individuals on China’s wanted list to prove their legitimacy to Beijing.
