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The Loss of Thabeikkyin and U.S. Legislative Moves on Myanmar

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Myanmar Spring Chronicle – July 23 Viewpoint
(MoeMaKa, July 24, 2025)

The Loss of Thabeikkyin and U.S. Legislative Moves on Myanmar

On July 22, Myanmar’s military retook control of Thabeikkyin town in northern Mandalay Region, nearly one year after MDY-PDF (Mandalay People’s Defense Force) seized it in August last year.

Thabeikkyin is located at the northern edge of Mandalay Region, on the west bank of the Ayeyarwady River, along the road connecting Mandalay to Mogok. Known for its gold mining, it became a strategically and financially important area for MDY-PDF and the NUG (National Unity Government). During the past year of control, gold revenue and taxation were major sources of funding for the resistance.

When the military began losing towns, bases, and territory in mid-2023, MDY-PDF swiftly seized Thabeikkyin within three days—a fact now being contrasted with the military’s months-long campaign to recapture it.

The MDY-PDF, which has close military cooperation with the TNLA (Ta’ang National Liberation Army), operates in towns like Thabeikkyin, Madaya, Singu, Pyin Oo Lwin, Mogok, and parts of Naungcho Township in northern Shan State. Although under the NUG’s Ministry of Defense, it has been tactically aligned with TNLA on the battlefield.

The fall of Naungcho by TNLA and the loss of Thabeikkyin by MDY-PDF—both within days of each other—reflects a turning point.

A combination of factors has allowed the military to regain some strength:

  • China’s shifting stance toward northern EAOs (ethnic armed organizations),

  • The enforcement of the military conscription law, replenishing manpower,

  • Tactical improvements after analyzing past defeats (especially from the Operation 1027 period),

  • Heavy use of drone warfare,

  • Renewed support for arms and ammunition from Russia and China.

These factors appear to have enabled the junta to launch counteroffensives in key areas. Their strategic priority seems focused on:

  • Resource-rich areas like Hpakant and Thabeikkyin for their gold and jade,

  • Towns with logistical or symbolic value, such as Naungcho (a key trade route with China), and

  • Areas where opposition groups rely on resource revenue to sustain the war.

U.S. Legislative Action on Myanmar

The other major development today involves three new Myanmar-related bills passed by the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services. These bills aim to:

  • Expand economic sanctions,

  • Restrict the junta’s access to aviation fuel,

  • Block potential new sources of foreign financing for the regime.

While it remains unclear how effective or enforceable these measures will be, the legislative move is likely meant to further tighten the grip on the military rather than explicitly support the Spring Revolution.

Pro-democracy Myanmar activists in the U.S. have expressed hope that the bills will lead to stronger pressure on the regime. However, observers caution that the Trump administration, currently in power, has shown little interest in Myanmar.

Notably, the same U.S. administration has been supporting Israel despite its ongoing siege and military operations in Gaza, where over 2 million Palestinians face humanitarian catastrophe. Reports highlight:

  • Use of sniper fire and rocket launchers against civilian gatherings,

  • Contracting a U.S. company to manage food distribution (while food itself is blocked),

  • Mass starvation and malnutrition among Palestinian children, with long-term effects on health and development.

Given this backdrop, it is crucial to recognize that while the U.S. is imposing new restrictions on Myanmar’s military, it is simultaneously complicit in grave international crimes elsewhere. This contradiction raises ethical concerns about relying on such a government for support.

If Myanmar’s current atrocities—including airstrikes and human rights abuses—are compared to what is happening in Gaza, it becomes clear that Israel’s crimes exceed in scale and brutality.

Thus, expecting consistent moral leadership from the U.S.—while it enables or ignores genocidal acts in other regions—requires careful reevaluation. Trusting such a power to be a reliable partner in the fight for justice in Myanmar is, at best, questionable.