According to military sources in Naypyidaw, the military council is attempting to reorganize administrative and departmental staff who fled from Naung Cho, Kyaukme, Hsipaw, Mogok, and Momeik townships, which are currently under the control of the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA). The council has issued additional instructions for these staff to prepare for potential re-entry and administration of these townships. This directive comes despite the failed negotiations in Kunming, China, during April, where the military council’s demands for the TNLA to return the captured townships were unsuccessful.
Following the military council’s instructions, temporary offices for various departments, including the General Administration Department and Immigration, have been expanded in Mandalay specifically for Mogok township affairs. These temporary offices are being directed to maintain regular administrative functions related to Mogok. Staff members who have not yet reported to these temporary offices have been instructed to return to work during May. The military source explains that this preparation is intended to ensure immediate administrative functionality when the occupied townships are potentially recovered. However, this appears to be a unilateral preparation, as the TNLA has officially stated they will not return the captured territories.
During a press conference on May 4, TNLA Joint Secretary-2 Colonel Tar Pan La explicitly stated that despite pressure from China, they would not return the captured townships to the military council. Nevertheless, it has been officially announced that discussions between the military council and TNLA are scheduled to resume in August. Military sources in Naypyidaw suggest that following the recapture of Lashio, the council is calculating that intense pressure from China might lead to the return of the remaining townships. This demonstrates the complex dynamics between the military council’s administrative ambitions and the reality of TNLA’s firm control over these territories.
