The Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) has been forced to return control of Mogok Town in Mandalay Region and Momeik (Mongmit) Town in northern Shan State to the junta in exchange for a ceasefire, Major General Tar Bone Kyaw, secretary general of the TNLA and its political wing, the Palaung State Liberation Front (PSLF), explained, citing shortages of ammunition and funding and a decline in troop strength.

In the early hours of December 1, Major General Tar Bone Kyaw wrote a Facebook post titled Mogok Exegeses, stating that the TNLA had to relinquish Mogok and Momeik and negotiate a ceasefire due to shortages of ammunition and funding, as well as declining manpower, while emphasizing that the TNLA’s struggle is not over and acknowledging that the unpopular decision to withdraw from the two towns is being met with strong criticism, insults, and backlash.

He added that, among the Ta'ang political goals, the integration of Mogok into Ta'ang State is a major priority.

He also said that Mogok, a town famous for its high-quality rubies, has been inhabited by the Ta'ang ethnic group for thousands of years, and that its name comes from the Ta'ang word Mogu, meaning shining stone.

Major General Tar Bone Kyaw wrote that giving up Mogok after capturing it felt like holding a cake but not being able to eat it, yet he remained confident that opportunities will always come to those who keep striving.

He also said that the TNLA had fully committed the resources it had built up over decades to the anti-junta Spring Revolution, and that over the course of roughly three to four years, it had sacrificed thousands of soldiers and incurred billions of dollars in debt from arms purchases.

The TNLA captured Mogok Town in Mandalay Region and several towns in northern Shan State in 2023 and 2024, but this year the junta has regained the military upper hand, recaptured some TNLA-held towns and launched heavy air assaults on other TNLA-controlled areas.

 

Eventually, the TNLA reached a compromise with the junta and agreed to a ceasefire, and in late November, it facilitated the return of junta troops to Mogok Town, a move that drew heavy criticism.

Starting on the evening of November 30, gunfights erupted between junta troops on the outskirts of Mogok Town and resistance groups formerly allied with the TNLA.

Previously, Mogok Town was captured by the TNLA and allied resistance groups on July 24, 2024.