After a second meeting on January 16, the military council and the Shan State Liberation Army (MNDAA) have reached a formal ceasefire agreement, China, the mediator, announced today. After the ceasefire agreement, China opened trade routes that had been blocked by the MNDAA. Although the details of the meeting are not yet known, the MNDAA agreed to release prisoners of war. In addition, there are reports that the MNDAA will withdraw from Lashio, the headquarters of the Southeast Region, by the end of June, but this has not been confirmed.
The ceasefire agreement was finally reached after China pressured the two sides to meet. In the first part of the 1027 operation, the MNDAA and the TLNA had to cease fire due to Chinese pressure, but it only lasted for about five months. The TLNA group was not included in the current agreement. It remains to be seen how long the ceasefire will last.
