Regime administration officials, along with police and troops from the Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 507, returned to northern Shan State’s Lashio Township on Friday. Sources told DVB that security was provided by the United Wa State Army (UWSA) and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA).
A source told DVB on the condition of anonymity that regime deputy leader Soe Win requested that the UWSA and the MNDAA provide security to his officials returning to Lashio as a part of a China-brokered ceasefire agreement which was reached between the MNDAA and Naypyidaw on Jan. 18.
The MNDAA will completely withdraw from Lashio town, which is located 107 miles (172 km) south of the Myanmar-China border town of Muse and 243 miles (391 km) north of the Shan State capital Taunggyi, by April 22.
Regime officials led by Naing Naing Oo met with representatives from the MNDAA and the Chinese government in Lashio on Friday to discuss the details, a source close to Naypyidaw told DVB on condition of anonymity.
He added that the regime will restore the regime’s Northeastern Regional Military Command (RMC) headquarters, which was seized by the MNDAA on Aug. 3 leading to the capture of Lashio. The regime will control all 12 neighbourhoods in Lashio town while the MNDAA will continue to administer the outskirts, sources told DVB.
