Local residents from Kyaung Gyi Su and Kan Gyi wards in Taunggyi, Shan State, have reported that the military council is forcing civilians to participate in protests against the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA). According to sources, on August 19 at 12 noon, ward administration teams, acting under military orders, are compelling one person from each household to attend a demonstration expressing opposition to TNLA and MNDAA, claiming it represents the will of Shan people.
The military began organizing these anti-TNLA and MNDAA protests in southern Shan State yesterday, forcing local residents and former government employees in Kunhing and Mong Pan towns to participate in morning demonstrations. The Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS/SSA) has officially condemned these protests, stating that they do not represent the genuine will of the Shan people but are instead the military’s deliberate attempt to instigate ethnic conflict. The Dai Youth Congress, comprising Shan youth, has also strongly denounced the military’s coercion of civilians to protest against revolutionary forces including TNLA and MNDAA, viewing it as a calculated move to create conflict between ethnic groups in Shan State.
The military council has scheduled similar forced protests across southern Shan State, including in Mong Nai, Mong Pan, Kunhing, and Kolam on August 18; Panglong, Lai Cha, Namsan, and Mawk Mai on August 19; and Mong Hsat, Nam Lan and other cities on August 20. Military commission officers have instructed their subordinate administrative staff to ensure protesters wear traditional Shan clothing, further highlighting the military’s attempt to manipulate ethnic identity for its purposes. These actions reflect the continuation of the military’s historical divide-and-rule tactics, deliberately aimed at creating conflicts between indigenous ethnic groups in Shan State.
