A concerning incident occurred in Naung Cho Township, Northern Shan State, where military council forces fired upon a Chinese Red Cross aid convoy. Military council spokesperson Zaw Min Tun acknowledged the incident, claiming the convoy had not provided advance notice of their arrival. The incident took place around 9:30 PM on April 1st near Ummati village in Naung Cho Township, where military forces intercepted and fired upon the humanitarian aid convoy.
According to the military council spokesperson’s statement, the convoy had allegedly failed to notify both Myanmar authorities and the relevant military attaché office in advance. The convoy consisted of nine vehicles with Myanmar license plates. The military security forces attempted to stop the convoy by shining lights from approximately 100 meters away, and when the vehicles did not stop, they fired three warning shots into the air. Following this confrontation, the convoy reportedly retreated toward Naung Cho town.
However, the TNLA’s press release contradicts this account, stating that the convoy had indeed provided prior notification to the military council. The Chinese Red Cross convoy was carrying humanitarian aid supplies for earthquake victims, and the TNLA has announced that they are providing security for the convoy and will continue to escort them to their intended destination. While the convoy was attempting to reach Mandalay, they were forced to retreat to Naung Cho town due to the military council forces’ gunfire. The TNLA has committed to ensuring the safe passage of these humanitarian supplies to their intended recipients.
