By Ko Myo / MPA
The Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), which have previously observed a ceasefire under pressure from China, have accused Myanmar’s military junta of committing ongoing war crimes.
In a joint statement issued on 16 December, the two groups said the junta’s actions—particularly airstrikes targeting civilians across Rakhine State, including an attack on Mrauk-U General Hospital—amount to systematic war crimes. They warned that such actions are pushing Myanmar closer to becoming a failed state.
A Yangon-based political analyst told MPA that the statement marks the strongest criticism from the MNDAA since it was pressured by China to relinquish control of Lashio, a city seized at significant cost during earlier fighting.
“This declaration clearly shows that the ceasefire agreement between the TNLA, MNDAA and the military is extremely fragile,” the analyst said. “While it may be too early to draw firm conclusions, the situation raises questions about whether a third phase of Operation 1027 could be approaching.”
The TNLA and MNDAA, both members of the Northern Alliance, also called on “civilised organisations” and major international actors, including the United Nations, to intervene to stop what they described as ongoing war crimes by the military leadership.
In their statement, the groups cited several recent incidents, including an airstrike on Mrauk-U General Hospital on 10 December that reportedly killed 33 civilians—among them children, pregnant women and the elderly—and injured at least 77 others.
They also accused the military of carrying out airstrikes on Ngalone Su (Upper and Lower) villages in Kyaukpyu Township on 11 December, killing nine internally displaced people and injuring 15, as well as bombing monasteries in Kyauk Ka Lay and In Taing Gyi villages and a school in Min Yat village on 13 December.
The bombing of Mrauk-U General Hospital drew widespread condemnation from the international community and ASEAN. However, in a statement issued on 12 December, the junta claimed the hospital had been used as a base by the Arakan Army (AA) and other revolutionary forces, and said it would continue what it described as “counter-terrorism operations” in Rakhine State.
Editor: ML
