Myanmar Spring Chronicle – Scenes from February 26
MoeMaKa), February 27, 2026
How Can the Disputes Between TNLA and MNDAA Be Resolved?
The Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) are both ethnic armed organizations and are also members of two active armed alliances. In recent weeks, reports have emerged of clashes between lower-level units of the two forces — including altercations, beatings, temporary detentions, and even exchanges of gunfire.
These tensions stem from disputes related to territorial control and administration between the Ta’ang and Kokang armed groups. Around mid-February, the situation escalated after TNLA forces removed CCTV surveillance cameras installed by MNDAA along the Lashio–Muse road passing through Kutkai.
During Operation 1027, TNLA played the primary role in capturing Kutkai town. However, MNDAA units also took up positions in certain areas of the town, such as agricultural compounds.
After the 1994 ceasefire with the former military government, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) had maintained a liaison office in Kutkai. After TNLA gained control of the town, KIA armed personnel were later forcibly removed. During that period, confrontations and disputes also occurred between KIA and TNLA troops not only in Kutkai but also in areas such as Nam Phat Kar, where KIA had maintained control.
The current tensions between TNLA and MNDAA are not the first since TNLA captured Kutkai from the junta in early 2024. In April 2024, TNLA reportedly disarmed some MNDAA personnel at the Kaung Khar junction in Kutkai.
This time, MNDAA has reportedly responded by restricting the transport of goods from territories it controls to Ta’ang-populated areas and limiting movement of Ta’ang civilians through its checkpoints.
Although both groups are members of the Three Brotherhood Alliance, there have been no reports of that alliance formally intervening. Instead, disputes are often brought before the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC), a seven-member alliance formed in 2017 that includes both TNLA and MNDAA.
Among the Three Brotherhood Alliance members, Arakan Army (AA) is the third group. However, many believe that FPNCC — chaired by the United Wa State Army (UWSA), the most powerful armed and economic force in northeastern Myanmar — has greater capacity to mediate such disputes. That may explain why appeals for resolution are directed to FPNCC.
Why do conflicts arise between revolutionary armed groups fighting against the military dictatorship? A key reason is the absence of a shared political agreement regarding territorial governance. Although ethnic armed groups identify the junta as a common enemy, there has been no comprehensive political settlement among them concerning administrative authority over territories.
Shan State, where many ethnic communities coexist, is particularly complex when it comes to ethnic affairs. Historical settlement patterns, demographic shifts over time, armed conflict, and policy changes have all contributed to the current situation. These issues require political solutions. However, at present, governance in many areas is determined by whichever armed group has captured and controls the territory.
If one properly understands politics, it becomes clear that equating battlefield sacrifices — lives lost and resources expended — with claims to territorial ownership is not politically sound.
However, if groups cling to the mindset that territories gained through blood and sacrifice cannot be relinquished, the prospects for ending armed conflicts diminish. Even when an old enemy weakens or disappears, new conflicts and new rivalries often emerge over territorial control. This dynamic must be carefully recognized.