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Myanmar ethnic minority fighters seize trading hub

By AFP
December 17, 2023

BANGKOK: Ethnic minority fighters battling Myanmar’s junta said Saturday they seized a trading hub in Shan state, days after China said it had mediated a temporary ceasefire. Clashes have raged across Myanmar’s northern Shan state since the Arakan Army (AA), the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) launched a joint offensive late October.

The three allied groups -- known as the Three Brotherhood Alliance -- say they have captured military positions and border hubs vital for trade with China, posing what analysts say is the biggest military challenge to the junta since it seized power in 2021.

A resident walking along a quiet street in Namhsan Township amid clashes between the ethnic minority armed group Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and Myanmars military in northern Shan State on  December 12, 2023. — AFP
 A resident walking along a quiet street in Namhsan Township amid clashes between the ethnic minority armed group Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and Myanmar's military in northern Shan State on  December 12, 2023. — AFP

According to TNLA’s Tar Bhone Kyaw, the Myanmar army also lost the 105-Mile Trade Zone, a major trading conduit on the border with China in Muse township, Shan state.