• Burmese
Saturday, May 24, 2025
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The Irrawaddy
31 °c
Yangon
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
No Result
View All Result
The Irrawaddy
No Result
View All Result
Home News Burma

Ethnic Armed Groups Claim Control of Border Town

Lawi Weng by Lawi Weng
November 28, 2016
in Burma
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0 0
A A
Members of the MNDAA captured a position in the town of Mong Ko. / myanmarwarnews / Facebook

Members of the MNDAA captured a position in the town of Mong Ko. / myanmarwarnews / Facebook

8.7k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

MUSE, Shan State — Ethnic armed group soldiers say they have seized most of Mong Ko, a border town in northern Shan State, but the Burma Army retained control of a nearby hilltop base as fighting continued on Monday, according to local sources.

The ethnic armed groups took control of the Mong Ko border gate, the immigration zone, and most areas of the town. Then they launched an offensive against Burma Army troops in the area, according to the joint ethnic armed groups’ spokesperson, Tar Aike Kyaw. As of Monday morning, they had captured several Burma Army positions in the town.

“Already, the town of Mong Ko has fallen into the hands of the joint ethnic armed groups,” Tar Aike Kyaw told the Irrawaddy.

RelatedPosts

Has the Revolutionary Spirit Gone? Shan Armed Forces in Crisis as Public Doubts Grow

Has the Revolutionary Spirit Gone? Shan Armed Forces in Crisis as Public Doubts Grow

May 24, 2025
402
Kokang’s New Power Play: Economic Integration With China

Kokang’s New Power Play: Economic Integration With China

May 20, 2025
1.4k
China Ramps Up Pressure on TNLA to Stop Fighting Junta

China Ramps Up Pressure on TNLA to Stop Fighting Junta

May 5, 2025
9.7k

The Burma Army has suffered a high number of casualties, and the ethnic armed groups were able to seize many weapons, according to a video posted on Facebook by Northern Alliance-Burma.

On Saturday, the President’s Office told the Democratic Voice of Burma that the Burma Army still maintains control of Mong Ko, despite contrary statements from the ethnic armed groups.

Since Nov. 20, a coalition of four ethnic armed groups—dubbed the Northern Alliance—has carried out a military offensive against the Burma Army in northern Shan State. The ethnic armed groups include the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the Arakan Army (AA), the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA). It is unclear how long the offensive will continue.

“The ethnic armed groups fought again yesterday. Fighting broke out near the positions of Arakan Army soldiers,” said Tar Aike Kyaw.

In Mong Ko, soldiers from the MNDAA, AA, KIA, and TNLA approached the town from different sides before they attacked. On Monday, the ethnic armed groups appeared to control most of the town, but the Burma Army still defended a hilltop position nearby, according to Tar Aike Kyaw.

Units of the Burma Air Force have also taken part, attacking Mong Ko in an effort to assist Burma Army soldiers on the ground. More Burma Army troops were also present in other villages to the east of Mong Ko.

“We seized the town already, but we could not yet get to their hill post,” said Tar Aike Kyaw.

He said that some civilians who were trapped by the fighting have taken shelter on the hill post, and the Burma Army was allowing them to stay.

“It is hard for us to attack the Burma Army post because there are civilians present there,” he said.

In recent days, ethnic armed group soldiers have attacked several Burma Army positions in northern Shan State. The ethnic armed groups often employ guerilla tactics, attacking briefly and then disappearing, said Tar Aike Kyaw.

He added that on Sunday, the ethnic armed groups attacked for 30 minutes at a Burma Army position in the Muse 105th mile trade zone. The security situation on the Lashio-Muse roadway remained unstable. Some vehicles have been able to travel the road, but in other cases trucks were blocked from traveling.

In Muse town itself, shops and restaurants have reopened, and security appeared improved over last week, The Irrawaddy’s reporter noted on the ground. Many people were walking the streets of Muse on Monday.

Last Friday, officials from Burma and China’s Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense held a meeting to discuss security and development along the border.

A joint statement from the meeting said, “The Chinese side expressed its hope for a speedy solution to the current tension in the northern part of Myanmar and to restore normalcy in the border area as soon as possible.”

Your Thoughts …
Tags: Arakan Army (AA)Burma ArmyConflictKachin Independence Army (KIA)Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA)Shan StateTa’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA)
Lawi Weng

Lawi Weng

The Irrawaddy

Similar Picks:

Another Entire Junta Battalion Raises the White Flag in Myanmar’s Northern Shan State
War Against the Junta

Another Entire Junta Battalion Raises the White Flag in Myanmar’s Northern Shan State

by The Irrawaddy
November 29, 2023
86.9k

Brotherhood Alliance member says it now has complete control of Kokang’s northernmost section after the junta’s Light Infantry Battalion 125...

Read moreDetails
‘Myanmar Military in Chaos,’ Swift Capture of Strategic Outpost Shows
Burma

‘Myanmar Military in Chaos,’ Swift Capture of Strategic Outpost Shows

by Yuzana
January 5, 2024
28.4k

Many of the more than 200 junta troops captured on Wednesday at Shan State outpost after brief battle were medics,...

Read moreDetails
Myanmar Military Suffers Swift Losses as Operation 1027 Expands to Mandalay
War Against the Junta

Myanmar Military Suffers Swift Losses as Operation 1027 Expands to Mandalay

by The Irrawaddy
June 27, 2024
18.2k

Ethnic army and PDF allies capture two dozen junta bases in three days of fighting in townships along the road...

Read moreDetails
China Faces Fierce Online Backlash in Myanmar After Threat Against Ethnic Army
Myanmar-China Watch

China Faces Fierce Online Backlash in Myanmar After Threat Against Ethnic Army

by The Irrawaddy
September 2, 2024
13.5k

The Chinese Embassy’s Facebook has been swamped with comments condemning a Chinese agency’s warning to the TNLA to stop fighting...

Read moreDetails
Wa Army Shows How to Succeed in Fight Against Myanmar Junta
Analysis

Wa Army Shows How to Succeed in Fight Against Myanmar Junta

by Ko Oo
July 17, 2024
13.3k

The UWSA has expanded its territory in Shan State without firing a single shot.

Read moreDetails
Myanmar Junta Troops Surrender Key Shan Base, Ethnic Armies Advance Into Lashio
War Against the Junta

Myanmar Junta Troops Surrender Key Shan Base, Ethnic Armies Advance Into Lashio

by The Irrawaddy
July 6, 2024
11.5k

The Brotherhood Alliance and its allies are battling to drive junta troops from hilltop bases in three wards of Shan...

Read moreDetails
Load More
Next Post
Foreign traders inspect raw jade at the government’s gems emporium in Naypyidaw, July 2016.  / Htet Naing Zaw / The Irrawaddy

Jade Sales Drop Significantly

Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing addresses senior officer trainees at the National Defence College in Naypyidaw on Saturday. / Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing / Facebook

Military Chief Mentions State of Emergency Provisions Amid Ongoing Clashes

No Result
View All Result

Recommended

China’s Two-Faced Diplomacy in Myanmar

China’s Two-Faced Diplomacy in Myanmar

5 days ago
2.4k
‘Indian Troops Killed Myanmar Resistance Fighters to Send a Message’

‘Indian Troops Killed Myanmar Resistance Fighters to Send a Message’

2 days ago
2.2k

Most Read

  • Dead or Alive: Min Aung Hlaing’s Final Gamble

    Dead or Alive: Min Aung Hlaing’s Final Gamble

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Adidas Shoe Factory Agrees to Striking Workers’ Demands

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • AA’s Political Wing Imposes Rakhine Travel Ban

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • ‘Indian Troops Killed Myanmar Resistance Fighters to Send a Message’

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Has the Revolutionary Spirit Gone? Shan Armed Forces in Crisis as Public Doubts Grow

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Newsletter

Get The Irrawaddy’s latest news, analyses and opinion pieces on Myanmar in your inbox.

Subscribe here for daily updates.

Contents

  • News
  • Politics
  • War Against the Junta
  • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
  • Conflicts In Numbers
  • Junta Crony
  • Ethnic Issues
  • Asia
  • World
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Election 2020
  • Elections in History
  • Cartoons
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Commentary
  • Guest Column
  • Analysis
  • Letters
  • In Person
  • Interview
  • Profile
  • Dateline
  • Specials
  • Myanmar Diary
  • Women & Gender
  • Places in History
  • On This Day
  • From the Archive
  • Myanmar & COVID-19
  • Intelligence
  • Myanmar-China Watch
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Fashion & Design
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Photo Essay
  • Donation

About The Irrawaddy

Founded in 1993 by a group of Myanmar journalists living in exile in Thailand, The Irrawaddy is a leading source of reliable news, information, and analysis on Burma/Myanmar and the Southeast Asian region. From its inception, The Irrawaddy has been an independent news media group, unaffiliated with any political party, organization or government. We believe that media must be free and independent and we strive to preserve press freedom.

  • Copyright
  • Code of Ethics
  • Privacy Policy
  • Team
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Burmese

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Business Roundup
  • Books
  • Donation

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.