Representatives of the military council and the Ta’ang (Palaung) National Liberation Army (TNLA) met again in Lashio to discuss the TNLA’s planned withdrawal from Mongkut (Mogok) and Mongmit (Momeik), according to a local source.

A local source told SHAN that the meeting took place on November 12 in Lashio and focused on arrangements for the TNLA’s withdrawal from the two towns.

“The TNLA and the military met in Lashio on the 12th. They discussed the plan for the TNLA’s withdrawal from Mongkut and Mongmit. We still do not know how the TNLA will leave the town or how the military will re-enter at the end of this month,” the source said.

On October 27–28, the TNLA and junta representatives held their ninth round of talks in Kunming, China, under Chinese mediation and signed a ceasefire agreement. The TNLA Information and News Department announced on October 29 that its troops would withdraw from Mongkut and Mongmit within the agreed timeline.

The follow-up meeting in Lashio was held to discuss the implementation of that agreement.

Meanwhile, a separate rumor circulating among residents suggests that the TNLA also met with PDF forces on November 16. According to the reports, TNLA leaders instructed the PDFs not to fire their weapons or engage in clashes if junta troops re-enter Mongkut.

Some residents of Mongkut believe TNLA and military troops may re-enter the town together on November 30, although SHAN could not independently confirm this claim. Attempts to contact TNLA spokesperson Lway Ye Oo were unsuccessful, as the previously used number is no longer in service.

“They cannot bring the military troops in like that. If they do, the alliance between the TNLA and the revolutionary forces will collapse. They will become enemies,” a Mongkut resident told SHAN. “Since the ceasefire was announced, they have been moving their belongings out of their offices and homes every day. Many people in Mongkut have already fled.”

A local source said a liaison office has been established between the TNLA and the junta to coordinate the military’s re-entry after the TNLA withdraws from Mongkut and Mongmit.

Residents expressed concern that the TNLA has not clearly informed either the public or its allied PDF forces about the details of the junta’s return. They fear that if the military re-enters, the town could face house sealing, arrests, and repression similar to what occurred in Nawnghkio, Kyaukme, and Hsipaw.

On the night of November 6, residents and revolutionary groups in Mongkut protested against the military’s return by banging pots and pans.

Resistance forces—including the Mandalay-PDF, Mongkut Strategy, and the People’s Defense Organizations (Pa-Ka-Pha) of Mongkut and Pyin Oo Lwin—which fought alongside the TNLA during the capture of Mongkut, announced on October 30 that they would resist with all their strength, in cooperation with allied revolutionary groups, to defend the areas under their control.