Myanmar Spring Chronicle – December 11 Scenes
MoeMaKa, December 12 2022
The very first armed battle between the TNLA and the Military Council in almost 2 years
Since last week, the military council has been aggressively attacking the camps where the TNLA forces are based in Namhsan Township in northern Shan State. So, local residents of the villages near the battle areas are fleeing to other villages, according to reports.
Since the military coup, there has been no fierce fighting between the military council and the TNLA forces, and this is the first time in almost 2 years that there has been a fierce battle. As for the military council, AA, MNDAA and TNLA groups, known as the three northern alliances, are groups that do not accept invitations to peace talks, so they are listed as groups that need to be more careful than some ethnic armed groups that attend peace talks, and as armed groups that must be weakened when the opportunity arises. Fighting is currently taking place in northern Shan with the MNDAA, and there has been a round of ceasefire with the AA after 4 months of fierce fighting.
TNLA is monitored by the military council with suspicion that they are providing weapons and giving military training to PDF forces in some areas of Mandalay, Sagaing, and Magway. After the military coup, this incident would cause ethnic armed groups to have an advantage in recruiting manpower. The military council is sure to be aware of the fact that the ethnic armed forces are in a position able to expand as much as they have weapons and food, and it may be a strategic factor to keep the armed forces from continuing to grow when there is opportunity.
Some news sources say that the fighting came after 3 to 4 of the TNLA’s military and political leaders were arrested in Lashio before the recent attack on TNLA bases in Namhsan Township. It is said that the sudden attack by the military council occurred after they got information about the military site and political objectives of the TNLA from some of the arrested TNLA leaders.
It must also be concluded that the military council took the initiative and attacked while they had the opportunity to warn the TNLA not to provide arms and military training to the PDFs in some areas, such as Northern Shan State and Mogok in Mandalay Division, which are related to the areas they dominate. Among the three northern alliances, TNLA has not had major fighting since the military coup. Now, looking at the sudden attack by the military council, it is clearly shown that the military council had no mercy and no hesitation in attacking the enemy head-on when they had the upper hand.