CNI News

5 March 2025

There are opinions among military and political analysts regarding how territorial disputes among EAOs should be resolved to prevent problems from getting worse. 

With the expansion of territorial control by ethnic armed organizations, territorial disputes could arise, pointed out the analysts.

It would be difficult to resolve the problems if EAOs designated the territories they have occupied for their own people, chairman of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) U Sai Nyunt Lwin told CNI News.

" Some EAOs consider that the territories they have captured are their own. These will be problematic a lot. These things may be in northern Shan State, southern Shan State, Kachin State, Sagaing Region, and Rakhine State. The Bamar people are mixed with other ethnic groups. If an EAO says that the territories it has captured belong to its people only, the problems are not over and will continue for a long time. We need to look at the entire Myanmar as a whole." he said.

At present, there are territorial disputes between the KIA and the TNLA, between the KIA and the MNDAA, between the TNLA and the SSPP, between the RCSS and the SSPP, between the PNO and the PNLO in Shan State. In the same way, there are territorial disputes between the NMSP and the KNU, and between the KNU and the KTLA in Tanintharyi Region and in Karen State.

While fighting with punches and kicks between the KIA and the TNLA over a territorial dispute

EAOs have captured as many territories as they can after 2021 and there might not be a majority of their people in the territories they have occupied. It would be necessary to re-negotiate matters regarding territorial domination, Dr. Hla Kyaw Zaw, a China-Myanmar affairs commentator, told CNI News.

" EAOs and other armed groups including the TNLA and the KIA have occupied as many territories as they can.There might not be a majority of their people in the territories they have captured. I heard they will solve it later. The TNLA has captured more territories than the territories where a majority of their people live. It will be re-negotiate later, I think. If there are two or three ethnic groups in a region, these two or three groups combine and they govern the region like a coalition. According to China's ethnic policy, if the Jinghpaws are the majority in a district, the Jinghpaws will have autonomy." she said.

The State Administration Council has lost control of most townships from Rakhine State, Kachin State, Shan State, Sagaing Region and Magway Region. Moreover, battles are severely breaking out in Ayeyarwady and Bago Regions.

Although the SAC met and discussed with the MNDAA and the TNLA, the discussion with the TNLA was broken.

Civil society organizations, NCA signatories, and those working in the peace process including international community have urged stakeholders to resolve the Myanmar political problem that has been more than four years long with dialogue