As China-brokered deal reshapes control of Lashio, residents are left in limbo

In a quiet but significant development, Lashio—northern Shan State’s largest city—was partially handed over to Myanmar’s military junta by the Kokang army (MNDAA) on April 21, under a China-brokered agreement.

While officials in Naypyitaw, Beijing, and the MNDAA (also known as the Kokang army) have kept the terms undisclosed, sources say that the junta will retain control over 12 urban wards, while the MNDAA will govern more than 450 surrounding villages. Military deployments are restricted by newly drawn boundaries, and a Chinese delegation will establish a monitoring office in the city.