Irrawaddy-March 5
The Myanmar military regime has now imposed martial law in a total of 61 townships, with the addition of three townships in Shan State on Monday, according to Data for Myanmar, an independent research group. The military regime declared martial law in Shan State’s Mantong, Namhsan and Namtu townships, all of which are currently under the control of the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA). The move followed the junta’s imposition of martial law in Mongmit and Mabein townships in northern Shan State on Feb. 28. Both towns were seized by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in January. The regime retook Mongmit after the KIA withdrew in late January but Mabein is still under KIA control. Namhsan, Namtu and Mantong are among six towns seized by the TNLA during Operation 1027, an anti-regime offensive conducted from late October to early January. The other three towns are Namkham, Mongngaw and Monglon. The TNLA has been installing its own administrations in those towns. Major General Soe Tint, the head of the Myanmar military’s Northeastern Command, is now nominally in charge of the three towns where the regime has declared martial law. The declaration of martial law in the three towns prompted wry comments on social media, such as “I wonder how the regime will rule those places where they don’t have any soldiers,” and “Perhaps it will also declare martial law in places in Rakhine seized by the AA [Arakan Army].” The sovereignty of Myanmar will remain intact, junta spokesman Major General Zaw Min Tun said on Monday in response to ethnic groups’ occupation of towns in Shan State. In November last year the regime imposed martial law in eight townships in northern Shan State: Kutkai, Kunlong, Namkham, Muse, Lashio, Hseni, Konkyan and Laukkai. It has so far declared martial law in 13 townships in northern Shan. Read more at: https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/number-of-townships-placed-under-martial-law-by-myanmar-junta-rises-to-61.html
