The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) on Thursday said it will not collaborate with the civilian National Unity Government (NUG) militarily or politically.
The group said it will not extend its territory or attack Mandalay city and Taunggyi, the capital of southern Shan State.
The MNDAA’s ally, the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), has been warned by the Chinese authorities in Yunnan province to stop fighting Myanmar’s regime or face consequences.
The MNDAA originally posted the statement on Facebook on September 4.
The armed group said it would not collaborate with any international organization that opposed China and would make no attempt to create a breakaway state.
It called on Beijing to intervene to resolve Myanmar’s conflict and said it would cease fighting immediately and cooperate with China to solve Myanmar’s conflicts through negotiation.
But the statement said it reserved the right to establish true autonomy and ensure self-defense.
NUG spokesman U Kyaw Zaw said the civilian government was communicating or collaborating with all revolutionary groups in rooting out the military dictatorship.
He refused to give a specific comment on the MNDAA’s announcement.
A military analyst who monitors Chinese interventions told The Irrawaddy that the MNDAA’s statement reposted on Thursday followed intense pressure from Beijing.
China has blocked border gates and trade to the MNDAA’s Kokang Self-Administered Region, creating economic hardship for residents, the analyst said.
The MNDAA, TNLA and Arakan Army formed the Brotherhood Alliance that launched the successful Operation 1027 against the regime in northern Shan State along with resistance groups, including People’s Defense Forces under NUG control, in October last year.
The operation ceased in January after the Brotherhood Alliance agreed to a China-brokered ceasefire with the regime. But the attacks resumed in Shan State in late June after a series of junta air and artillery strikes.
The Brotherhood Alliance has seized most of northern Shan State, including the capital Lashio as well as vital trade routes with China. Fighting is ongoing in Hsipaw and Nawnghkio townships as the TNLA and its allies attempt to seize remaining junta bases.
Daily junta airstrikes continue across liberated territory in northern Shan State.
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