The Karenni Nationalities Defence Force (KNDF) chairman urged resistance forces to cooperate to take back control of Lashio City, after China forced the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) to return the city to the junta.

Khun Bedu, the chairman of the KNDF, said he sympathised with both the MNDAA and the residents of Lashio City in northern Shan State after it was forced to retreat from the city and hand it back to the junta, following heavy pressure from China.

He said: “Because of Chinese pressure, the Kokang army [MNDAA] had to pull out of Lashio City. When we heard the news, we felt really sorry for both our Kokang comrades and the people of Lashio.”

According to Lashio residents, junta troops are now redeploying in large numbers across Lashio City, which was once home to the junta’s Northeastern Regional Military Command headquarters.

The MNDAA supported by its allies such as the KNDF took Lashio City on 25 July 2024, following fierce fighting.

MNDAA and allied resistance force fighters paid with their lives to liberate the city, so being made to give up the city so easily by the Chinese must be a deeply bitter pill for the MNDAA to swallow, according to Khun Bedu.

But, he went on to say that having to retreat from Lashio City should only be viewed as a temporary setback and that when the time is right resistance forces will do whatever is needed to retake Lashio City.

He said to NMG: “The key is to coordinate among the resistance forces for all possible options. While Lashio City has been lost, we view this as a temporary setback and pledge to retake it when the time is right. We must find ways to make that happen.”

At negotiations held in China’s Kunming City in January 2025, China put pressure on the MNDAA to force it to return Lashio City to the junta. As a result the MNDAA had to remove all its personnel from Lashio City by 21 April 2025. On 22 April junta personnel started moving back into Lashio City.

Critics of the Chinese brokered agreement say that by forcing the MNDAA to hand back Lashio City to the junta, China has broken its pledge not to interfere in Myanmar’s domestic affairs.

When this was put to China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun, at a 22 April 2025 press conference, he denied this and said: “China respects Myanmar’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and actively facilitates Myanmar’s effort to advance the peace process in northern Myanmar in light of the will and aspirations of relevant parties in Myanmar.