MNDAA to reopen schools in Theebaw, which the junta repeatedly closed and reopened

Mekong, August 3 It has been learned that the MNDAA (Kokang armed group) has announced that it will also reopen schools in Theebaw Township, where schools have been repeatedly closed and reopened by the military council. The Kokang armed group announced on August 31 that it will reopen seven primary education schools in the Theebaw region for local students, including Amak Sutt Lan, Amak Myo Htaw, Amak Nam Pen, Amak Kaung Lan, Amak Na Nyu, Alak Pan Nyu, and Athaka Saung Che. The schools announced by the Kokang armed group to be reopened in Theebaw are among the 17 schools that the military council had closed in early August, citing security reasons, and were schools that were allowed to reopen on August 29 after requests and negotiations with parliamentarians and the public. "These are schools that the military had previously ordered to be closed. When the military closed them, the Kokang group tried to reopen them, and the military council allowed them to reopen. Now that these schools are included in the schools that the Kokang group has announced they will continue to reopen, it is believed that the military government will have to hand them over. About 10 of these schools are in the Kokang controlled territory," said a resident of Theebaw. Furthermore, sources said that on September 1, Kokang officials and teachers visited the schools reopened by the military council and informed them that the Kokang armed group would continue to operate the schools. "Kokang officials visited schools such as Pan Mein and Nam Pen. They came to inform them that they would continue to operate these schools," said a source from Theebaw. In addition, schools in the Theinni District are also being opened. The Kokang armed group stated that in the 2025-2026 academic year, Alak San Laung, Alak Kon Tha, and Alak Nam On schools will be able to open, and in the current 2026-2027 academic year, primary education schools in the areas of Kung Mon, Kon Khai, Myo Htaw, Sutt Lan, and Pan Nyu will continue to be opened. The Kokang armed group stated in its announcement that it is working to expand the opening of primary education schools in order to promote the development of the education sector in the region and to prevent the loss of educational opportunities for the younger generation. Despite these circumstances, although some schools have been allowed to reopen by the military council, most students have not yet returned to school and are observing the situation, according to local sources. "When the schools first opened, everyone attended. After the military closed them citing security reasons, and now that they have been allowed to reopen, and with the Kokang group also stating that they will continue to open them, people are waiting to see until the situation is completely stable," said one of the sources. Although the military council and the Kokang armed group-MNDAA have observed a ceasefire with China's mediation and hold regular meetings in Lashio, they have not yet been able to reach an agreement regarding territorial control on the ground. #MekongNews #ShanStateNorth #Theebaw #MilitaryCouncil #KokangArmedGroup #MNDAA