Myanmar Spring Chronicle – September 22 Update
(Moemaka) September 23, 2024
Airstrikes on Lashio and Naung Cho by the Military Council
During the second phase of Operation 1027, Lashio, the headquarters of the Northeast Command, has been a primary target. Since early August, when the Kokang armed group MNDAA took control of the city, establishing governance, hospitals, electricity, and other services, the military council has launched four airstrikes over the past month. Just yesterday (September 21), another bombing occurred. According to domestic reports, the military council is attempting to recapture Lashio and Naung Cho, which are among the cities taken by the Northern Alliance. Although airstrikes have intensified, there is no evidence yet of ground forces initiating direct attacks.
Naung Cho was captured by TNLA in July, while Lashio fell to MNDAA in early August. Since late June, the Northern Alliance has seized Naung Cho, Kyaukme, and Lashio and is still fighting to capture Thibaw. The military council has responded with airstrikes, targeting administrative buildings, offices, and other key locations used by the alliance in an attempt to weaken their control over these cities. The Northern Alliance forces aim to restore normalcy in the cities they control, where civilians can resume their daily lives, engage in trade, and receive essential services such as electricity and water. This effort is particularly evident in Lashio, Namkham, Kyaukme, and Naung Cho.
However, the airstrikes have instilled fear in residents, threatening both their safety and property. Many locals worry about the destruction of their homes and lives. Some believe that if the military council intends to retake these cities, it should engage in decisive battles to avoid repeated destruction and reconstruction.
The military council’s approach reflects a strategy outlined by Deputy General Min Naing during a previous negotiation, where he warned that although ethnic armed groups might capture cities, the council would continue airstrikes, ensuring that peace and stability remain elusive.
For civilians, the choice of whether to stay in their homes or flee as internally displaced persons (IDPs) is a difficult one. Many residents in ethnic areas, such as Karen and Shan States, have experienced multiple losses of homes, livelihoods, and family members over the decades due to ongoing armed conflicts. The current situation is reminiscent of past internal wars, where displacement, loss of resources, death, and imprisonment became common across generations.
In addition to being displaced within the country, many have fled to neighboring borders as refugees. Now, urban populations are also experiencing similar hardships. Cities like Lashio, Kyaukme, and Thibaw, which were previously outside the direct impact of armed conflict, are now facing airstrikes and destruction.
Although airstrikes may not decisively shift control on the ground, they serve to destabilize regions held by armed groups, forcing civilians to live in constant fear.