In Theinni (Hsenwi) town of northern Shan State’s Theinni Township, the Kokang armed group Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) has begun issuing identification cards and household registration documents to local residents.

Theinni was seized by the MNDAA on November 2, 2023, with support from its allied ethnic armed groups, the Arakan Army (AA) and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA).

Beginning in the last week of November, the MNDAA has been issuing Special Region 1 Resident Verification Cards to residents in various wards of Theinni Town at a rate of about 200 people per day, according to local sources.

“The MNDAA began issuing the cards to residents of Ward 1, and only about 200 people are processed each day. The MNDAA has been collecting residents’ information since the rainy season in preparation for issuing these Kokang registration cards. Now, people are being asked to provide even more personal details. Once everything is submitted, it usually takes about a day before the cards are issued,” said a woman from Theinni Town.

Town residents told Shan Herald that the MNDAA-issued Special Region 1 Resident Verification Cards and the household registration process cost between MMK 20,000 and MMK 25,000 per person.

In July, the MNDAA held at least three meetings, summoning residents from various wards of Theinni Town to discuss its plan to issue identification cards. The group later issued temporary residence cards to migrant workers from other regions who were employed in shops and warehouses in Namsalat Village, near the town.

“In Namsalat, the MNDAA has been issuing Kokang registration cards for months, and now it is starting to issue these cards in the central wards of the town as well. The main advantage is that it makes traveling to China easier. However, it is unclear what might happen in junta-controlled Lashio City. There are also concerns that junta soldiers could act aggressively if they see these cards,” the Theinni resident woman added.

In Theinni Town, the MNDAA is collecting MMK 15,000 per household per month under the pretext of a garbage tax and is also requiring advance shop license fees of six months or one year for households opening shops.

In the third week of September, residents of MNDAA-controlled areas including Kawngmawng Village in Hoya Village Tract of northern Shan State’s Mongyai Township and 16 villages in Nawngmo Village Tract had their data collected by MNDAA administrative and immigration officials for the purpose of issuing identification cards.

Holders of the Special Region 1 Registration Card issued by the MNDAA can obtain entry permits to China more easily at the Monekoe (Mankan) and Chinshwehaw border posts in northern Shan State.

In northern Shan State, both the MNDAA and the TNLA are issuing driver’s licenses, identity cards, and household registration documents to residents in their controlled territories. However, these documents are only valid within the areas controlled by the groups, and residents fear facing interrogations or arrests when traveling to junta-controlled regions.