The junta and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) had been enforcing parallel blockades on opposite sides of Thibaw Bridge, which connects Thibaw (Hsipaw) Town and Lashio City in northern Shan State. The MNDAA has now withdrawn, but the junta continues to block vehicle traffic on the bridge.

Earlier this month, the Kokang ethnic armed group MNDAA dismantled its checkpoint near the bridge and withdrew its troops.

The bridge is now manned solely by junta troops, who allow locals to cross on foot for limited periods but continue to block vehicles, creating hardships for the community.

“There are no Kokang troops left on Thibaw Bridge. Right now, junta soldiers are stationed on both sides. The Kokang troops haven’t fully withdrawn, they’re still in nearby villages. But they’ve taken down their checkpoint at the bridge. For the moment, the junta is only letting people cross on foot. Cars and motorcycles still aren’t allowed through,” said a woman from Thibaw Town.

During discussions between the junta and the MNDAA in Lashio City on December 29, the MNDAA agreed to remove its checkpoints along the Union Highway connecting Lashio and Thibaw, a source familiar with the talks told Shan Herald.

Not only was the checkpoint at the bridge closed, but the MNDAA also withdrew its troops stationed between Thibaw Town and Namlan Village, relocating them to Hsawngkye and Hsinkyawt village tracts in Thibaw Township, and Hoya Village Tract in Mongyai Township.

After the junta recaptured Thibaw Town, which had previously been under the control of the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), late last year, it demanded in November that all MNDAA troops withdraw from the Thibaw–Lashio and Lashio–Mongyai road sections, sparking tensions between the two sides. As a result, both the junta and the MNDAA had enforced blockades on the roads for approximately two months.