Junta No. 2 Visit Highlights Strategic Stakes in Shan State

[geovalin]

CINCDS

 

 

NAWNGHKIO — Myanmar junta deputy Soe Win made a high-profile visit to Nawnghkio on Monday, signalling the regime’s renewed focus on northern Shan State as it seeks to reclaim control of key trade routes and prepare for elections.

 

His visit comes one week after the military recaptured Nawnghkio from the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), ending nearly a year of rebel control following its capture during Operation 1027 in mid-2023. Located on the main road between Mandalay and the Chinese border at Muse, Nawnghkio is vital to Myanmar’s economy and military logistics.

 

Soe Win’s appearance, battlefield commendations, and awards to troops underlined the town’s strategic importance. Analysts say the regime’s push to retake Nawnghkio was less about military prowess than Chinese influence — with Beijing pressuring ethnic armed groups to reopen cross-border trade and revive its long-stalled China–Myanmar Economic Corridor.

 

The timing is notable. The visit marks the first by a senior commander to northern Shan since the conflict escalated last year. It also comes amid reports that China helped broker the MNDAA’s return of Lashio — seized in August — and is now urging ethnic allies like the TNLA to hand back more towns, including Kyaukme and Hsipaw.

 

Yet the regime's response to defiant groups has been brutally different. While MNDAA-held towns have largely avoided airstrikes, TNLA strongholds like Nawnghkio and Hsipaw have been bombarded almost daily.

 

Despite regaining ground, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has not visited Lashio or Nawnghkio — a stark contrast to Soe Win’s highly publicised trip. His presence suggests the military is betting on reopening border trade with China and staging December elections to shore up its domestic and international legitimacy.

 

While in Nawnghkio, Soe Win ordered officials to accelerate the issuing of ID cards and household documents — a clear sign the regime is laying groundwork for a tightly controlled vote.

 

With Beijing seemingly prepared to endorse a military-aligned government after elections, northern Shan has once again become the battleground not just for territory, but for influence — and for Myanmar’s future political shape.

 

-2025-07-23