Myanmar’s civilian-led National Unity Government (NUG) vowed to continue aligning itself with resistance groups nationwide in the uprising against the 2021 military coup following a statement by the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) declaring that it will not collaborate with the NUG in political or military affairs.

“At this moment, we have no comment [about the MNDAA statement]. The NUG is continuously engaging and collaborating with all revolutionary forces to work together for the long-term,” Kyaw Zaw, the NUG spokesperson, told DVB.

The MNDAA is a member of the Brotherhood Alliance, along with the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the Arakan Army (AA), which launched Operation 1027 on Oct. 27. Since then it has made significant gains on the battlefield against the military in northern Shan State, regaining control of the Kokang Administered Zone and overtaking bases, towns and trade routes along the border with China.

“One thing is clear, they have not aligned with the military regime. They will continue fighting for the political rights and territorial control they seek,” said Moe Htat Nay, the spokesperson for independent research group Nyan Lynn Thit Analytica. 

The MNDAA originally posted its statement refusing to cooperate with the NUG online Sept. 4 but it was quickly deleted and reposted Wednesday. It went on to declare that it will “not engage or co-operate with an alliance involved with foreign entities which are opposed to China or Myanmar.”

It also pledged not to launch attacks on the cities of Mandalay or Taunggyi, the Shan State capital. But it reaffirmed its commitment “to uphold the right to self-defense.” The MNDAA reiterated its political goals for the ethnic Kokang to have “true autonomy” and that it does not seek to secede from Myanmar but would like to achieve an immediate ceasefire with the help of China.

Its statement distancing itself from the NUG was first issued shortly after Beijing sent a letter demanding the TNLA cease its offensive against the military on Aug. 29. China’s Special Envoy for Asian Affairs Deng Xijun reportedly met representatives of all ethnic armed groups operating along the Myanmar-China border, including the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and United Wa State Army (UWSA) in August. 

“This latest statement seems to reaffirm their earlier stance and may also reflect pressure from China. Initially, China closed border gates, cut off internet access, and halted trade as much as possible to exert control,” Nan Lwin, an expert on China at the Institute for Strategy and Policy (ISP Myanmar), told DVB.

Morgan Michaels, a research fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies who monitors Myanmar’s conflict, told DVB that the MNDAA statement appears to want to appease China by mentioning that it has no relationship with the NUG, and it does not plan to cause further turmoil by attacking nearby cities. 

“The MNDAA is under pressure from Beijing to rein in its forces and halt its advance against the regime. One of Beijing’s concerns is that the Brotherhood is being influenced by other actors. In other words, there is a worry that the Brotherhood Alliance could be influenced by external actors via the NUG,” added Michaels.

The Brotherhood Alliance signed a China-brokered ceasefire with the regime on Jan. 11 but re-launched its offensive in northern Shan State on July 3 and took control of Lashio, the largest city near the border of China, after capturing the military’s Regional Military Command (RMC) headquarters there on Aug. 3.