On April 30, Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA) issued a four-paragraph statement highlighting the deterioration situation between itself and the Myanmar National Truth and Justice Party/ Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDJP/MNDAA), better known as Kokang Army.

The unofficial translation of the statement by this writer is as follows:-

• SSPP and MNDAA are revolutionary organizations which have relied in good and bad times and helped each other out for decades.
• But starting from second phase 1027 Military Operation, MNDAA troops which entered and (repeatedly) crossed into SSPP’s administrative areas, due to language problems and weak official information of MNDAA Central (to inform the SSPP), led to undesirable and ugly head-on conflict situation on April 28-29, 2025, between the troops on the ground.
• On April 28-29 SSPP/SSA and MNDJP/MNDAA engaged in military clashes in 8 locations, (including) disturbances, fist fights and arrests in 24 locations, where troops from both sides were wounded.
• (SSPP announced) to the public that military clashes and military tension (issues) will be resolved at the central-level of both parties.

Failed negotiation

According to the report of Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN) on May 8, the two sides have met at the central level regarding the ongoing military tensions between the SSPP/SSA and the Kokang MNDAA, but no results have been achieved in the talks, according to the investigation.

In early May, the SSPP Central Political Committee and the MNDAA Central Committee officials met to discuss the current military tensions in Panghsang, which is controlled by the ‘Wa’ faction United Wa State Army (UWSA), but no agreement was reached, a military source said.

“The (Kokang) troops did not withdraw, (instead) they have completely taken back their (encroached) positions. They asked for the withdrawal of (SSPP) troops from Muse and Kutkai. When they knew that they would not accept the withdrawal, they said that they should not collect taxes on the Union Highway. That meeting ended without any results,” a military source close to the SSPP said.

The Shan Herald contacted SSPP spokesman Sai Phone Han by phone regarding the bilateral central-level talks between the SSPP and MNDAA, but his phone was switched off.

The SSPP has announced that the two parties will hold a central-level meeting to resolve the military clashes and military tensions between the two parties, but no side has announced the results of the talks yet.

According to SSPP Info of April 30, the MNDAA, which has suffered heavy losses in the fighting against the SSPP/SSA in Hsipaw Township, Shan State, are reinforcing their forces.

On April 29, the MNDAA invaded the SSPP/SSA area of operation, arrested and beat up SSPP/SSA soldiers, and forced them to leave from their positions, resulting in a clash between the two sides, with casualties.

The clash between the two sides lasted for almost 2 hours near Humi Village and Tin Hai Village in Hsipaw Township, and the MNDAA soldiers were injured, according to a military source on the ground. The MNDAA side casualties were said to be quite numerous.

There was one clash from around 10 am to 12 pm. Around 2 pm, the SSPP camp in Mong Khat, Mong Yaw, Ho Hway was attacked again. At around 3:30 pm., the MNDAA attacked the Hsengkiao camp. Two SSPP soldiers were injured in the Mong Khat camp, and two soldiers were injured in the MNDAA raid on the Nar Nang side, according to a military source on the ground.

The Kokang Army MNDAA had taken control of the Hsengkiao camp, which was under SSPP control, on the afternoon of the 29th, according to media reports, but the SSPP/SSA has now regained control.

Currently, the Kokang Army MNDAA is reinforcing near the SSPP/SSA camps in Nar Nang Village, Nar Taw Village, Kho Nang Pha, Tin Hai Village, Hsengkiao, Nar Khong, Nar Ma Khor, and Pha Sae (Hsipaw), and it is reported that the two sides are in a tense situation.

The Kokang MNDAA is currently reinforcing the villages where the SSPP/SSA camp is located in Hsipaw and Lashio townships, and local residents say that the situation between the two sides is tense. The SSPP/SSA and the Kokang MNDAA are allies in the Federal Political Dialogue and Coordination Committee (FPNCC), which is led by the ‘Wa’ Army UWSA and consists of seven (7) members.

Last year clashes

In the same vein, also because of territorial ownership and control disputes, troops from the two ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) fought each other also in March last year.

In the course of the battle, the SSPP/SSA columns that were operating in Hsenwi Township between Namsalak and Hse-O village-tracts near Kung Nyaung village were attacked by the MNDAA forces with drones, on 26 March, 2024.

Again, on 27 March, 2024, from a field near Panna village in Hse-O village-tract, MNDAA troops bombed a nearby SSPP/SSA special military camp for more than 50 times using drones. Reportedly, more than MNDAA 200 ground troops attacked the SSPP/SSA camp.

However, the fighting died down shortly after but no party comes up with an explanation until now and the issue remains unresolved. Probably both might have called a truce on territorial dispute and choose not to publicize as has been the case with the EAOs among themselves in general.

Perspectives

Following the withdrawal of MNDAA from Lashio City, due to the Chinese pressure, it still is present in Lashio’s surrounding, Hsenwi and along the route and surrounding leading up to Kokang Self-administered Zone. It is not clear if China is turning the blind eyes on the situation, to use Kokang’s troops as necessary to secure the trade routes, in collaboration with the junta’s troops or just a temporary understanding for the MNDAA to administer the captured areas. After all, MNDAA even has to give up its prized trophy Lashio which it sacrificed a lot of its troopers to captured it.

News were coming out that Kokang’s troops on security exercises coming down from 105-Mile Trade Zone to Kutkai witnessed by the locals were said to be made up of the majority Burmese-speaking troopers than Kokang Chinese. This raises speculations of whether they were junta troops or National Unity Government’s (NUG) People’s Defense Force (PDF), donning MNDAA uniforms. However, these reports still need to be verified.

But one thing is clear that the MNDAA wanted to clear the SSPP from Union Highway, which is the main trade route. However, it is not clear if it is receiving directive from China or acting on its own greed or initiative.

Somehow, it is also strange that SSPP is friendly with the United Wa State Army (UWSA) which is a known proxy of China, together with the Mongla or National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA). This make all the more complicated that MNDAA is going against the SSPP, which is the close ally of UWSA and in no way fighting the military junta that China is backing to maintain the supreme ruler posture of Myanmar.

Either way, one sure thing is that the MNDAA is waging war with the SSPP and wants it to be far away from border trade route, one way or the other, to have sole control of the route. It is also against the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) within the vicinity as it stirs up conflict with the KIA repeatedly in northern Shan State.

The problem is that SSPP won’t be giving up without a fight, if the clashes with the MNDAA during the last few days are of any indication.

The coming days ahead will be interesting on how the stakeholders in northern Shan State will react to each other on the given situation, regarding the deliberation of opening the trade routes, which the junta, China and MNDAA are so keen to materialize.