A provincial agency of China’s Yunnan province bordering Shan State has warned the ethnic Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) to immediately stop fighting the Myanmar regime in northern Shan or face “more deterrent and disciplinary measures”. The Ruili City Security Commission made the warning in a statement issued Thursday. Ruili is a major trading hub on the border with Myanmar, across from Muse in Shan State.
It urged the TNLA to cooperate with China in “maintaining peace and stability” in northern Shan State and along the China-Myanmar border, and to ensure the safety of the border and the people who live in the area, as well as of Chinese projects and Chinese nationals in Myanmar.
“End all military activities harmful to Chinese border stability and to the lives and properties of Chinese citizens. Otherwise, China will take more deterrent and disciplinary measures. And you [the TNLA] will be entirely responsible for the consequences,” the Chinese-language statement reads.
The commission urged the TNLA to swiftly return to dialogue with the regime, saying it was the right path to settle differences.
It said China is willing to continue to play a “constructive” role and help to restore peace in northern Myanmar, and will help the TNLA assert its rightful claims.
“We are watching where you [the TNLA] are heading,” the commissioned warned.
TNLA spokeswoman Lway Yay Oo told The Irrawaddy on Friday that the group had read the statement and that its Central Committee was still discussing how to respond.
“The Chinese government has been putting pressure on us in various ways since before we resumed Operation 1027 [in June]. It is pressuring us by blocking trade routes and trade flows to us,” the spokeswoman said.
Another TNLA source said the Chinese government is also urging other ethnic armed groups in northern and eastern Shan to block trade routes to prevent the flow of foods, medicine and fuel to the TNLA.
At a press conference on Friday, when asked about the Chinese warning to the TNLA to stop fighting, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said China “will continue to play a constructive role for Myanmar’s peace and reconciliation process and promote the deescalation in northern Myanmar”, the ministry said.
The Chinese embassy in Yangon was not available for comment on Friday.
The TNLA is a member of the Brotherhood Alliance, which launched Operation 1027 in northern Shan State last year, seizing hundreds of junta bases and command centers, and 24 junta military battalion headquarters as well as around 20 towns and vital trade routes with China.
The operation was halted in northern Shan State on Jan. 10 after Beijing brokered a ceasefire between the ethnic alliance and the regime. However, the TNLA and another member of the ethnic alliance, the Myanmar Nationalities Democratic Alliance Army, resumed their operation in northern Shan State on June 25 after the regime’s military repeatedly bombed the TNLA’s territory, breaching the China-brokered ceasefire.
Since the resumption of the operation, the ethnic armies and allied resistance groups have seized the capital of northern Shan State, Lashio, along with the Myanmar military’s Northeastern Command, which was based in the city, as well as Kyaukme, Nawnghkio and Mongmit towns.
As part of the operation, along with the TNLA, several resistance groups including People’s Defense Forces under the civilian National Unity Government have seized Mogoke, Singu, Tagaung and Thabeikkyin townships in neighboring Mandalay Region.
Currently, the TNLA is fighting to seize the remaining junta strongholds in Taung Hkham Village in Nawnghkio Township, northern Shan State.
