Residents in Kyaukme Township, northern Shan State, have reported a sharp rise in military tensions between junta forces and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), which currently controls Kyaukme Town, the township’s administrative center.
A meeting held on August 27 in Kunming City, Yunnan Province, under a Chinese government initiative aimed at brokering a ceasefire between the junta and the TNLA, concluded without any agreement. In the aftermath, military tensions in Kyaukme Township have obviously intensified, according to locals.
A resident of Sakhanthar Village, located just seven miles from Kyaukme Town, said the TNLA has restricted access to outsiders, and only locals and officials on duty are allowed to enter the village.
“Right now, in Sakhanthar Village, only locals can come in or leave. Officials on duty are allowed entry, but anyone else, including visitors, is turned away. We don’t know when or how fighting might erupt. The bridges have already been repaired, so locals are starting to evacuate the area just in case,” he told Shan Herald.
With the recent collapse of negotiations, Kyaukme residents fear their town could face junta airstrikes, potentially suffering the same fate as Naungcho (Nawnghkio), a northern Shan State town once controlled by the TNLA and recently retaken by the junta.
On August 20, the junta conducted an airstrike on Nawngping Sub-township in Kyaukme Township, killing over 20 civilians and injuring more than 40.
A humanitarian worker in Kyaukme Town expressed deep concern over the mounting tensions and their impact on local population.
“If the tensions persist, civilians will suffer the most. I’m not taking sides, but if both parties could reach an agreement and return to their previous positions, it would be far better. Otherwise, civilians could face even greater hardships. It’s also corn harvesting season, but no one can focus on that,” he said.
He warned that renewed clashes in Kyaukme could cause extensive destruction and overwhelm local humanitarian efforts.
“If the fighting continues, the destruction will only worsen. We have just three or four social rescue teams for all of Kyaukme Town. On top of that, food and medical supplies can no longer be delivered. If the number of patients needing treatment rises, there won’t be enough medicine,” he explained.
Meanwhile, the TNLA reportedly faces pressure from the Chinese government to reach a deal with the junta and is no longer receiving weapons or financial support from the United Wa State Army (UWSA), which was once considered its main backer.
On September 1, the TNLA released a statement accusing junta forces of carrying out airstrikes, artillery attacks, and drone strikes that killed 46 civilians in August across Kyaukme, Mongngawt, Thibaw (Hsipaw), and Monglon townships in northern Shan State, as well as Mogok Town in Mandalay Region, bordering Shan State.
Among the fatalities were 3 monks, a nun, 19 men, 18 women, and 5 children. The TNLA statement emphasized that the junta deliberately targeted civilians with air assaults. The attacks also left 55 people injured, including 6 monks, 6 novices, 31 men, and 12 women, according to the TNLA.
