– People’s Spring
On the evening of November 20, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) successfully captured Kan Paik Ti, a crucial border trading town on the China-Myanmar border.
The KIA-led coalition launched an early morning offensive on Kan Paik Ti, the last town in Kachin Special Region 1 still controlled by the Kachin Border Guard Force (Kachin BGF), which was aligned with the Military Council and led by U Zahkung Ting Ying. By evening, the town had been captured, according to three military sources.
“Kan Paik Ti was successfully captured at 5:00 PM,” a KIA source said. “It’s true. Kan Paik Ti has been captured”, another source told People’s Spring.
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When KIA troops took control of Kan Paik Ti, Military Council forces and BGF members previously stationed in the town fled across the border into Chinese territory, some locals said.
People’s Spring has still been in contact with KIA Spokesperson Colonel Naw Bu for the latest update on the Battle of Kan Paik Ti.
Kan Paik Ti, located in Waingmaw Township in Kachin State, is a major China-Myanmar border trading hub. Whenever the KIA launches attacks and captures Military Council bases and towns, China typically closes border trading posts to exert pressure on the KIA’s advance. For this reason, the KIA had previously avoided capturing Kan Paik Ti, leaving it as the last town to be captured in Kachin Special Region 1.
Kachin Special Region 1 is rich in rare-earth minerals (REMs), which China covets, and now the entire region has fallen into the hands of the KIA. Kan Paik Ti, with a population of around 8,700 according to the 2014 census, was renamed Kan Paing Ti after the Military Council and U Zahkung Ting Ying negotiated the change, as the original name, Kan Paik Ti, was considered an ill omen in Chinese pronunciation. The town was captured 21 months after the name change on February 14, 2023.
On November 15, the Military Council carried out an airstrike on the Kachin Baptist Church in Konlaw Village, Momauk Township, Kachin State, killing nine war-displaced people, including children, and injuring around 30. Five days later, the KIA captured Kan Paik Ti, a town that had been heavily fortified by Military Council troops.
The KIA-led coalition launched its first military operations in Kachin Special Region 1 in mid-2024. It captured Sadon Town in June, followed by Chipwi Town in September, Tsawlaw Town in early October, Pang War Town in mid-October, and Phimaw Town in early November, in quick succession.
The KIA had already captured BGF Battalion 1003, the main guardian battalion responsible for the security of Kan Paik Ti, on October 21. Despite facing various pressures and harassment from the Chinese government, the KIA ultimately succeeded in capturing Kan Paik Ti on November 20.
Despite strong pressure and opposition from the Chinese government, the KIA captured Lweje as well, a border trading town on the China-Myanmar border, in late March 2024.
Since the coup, the KIA has captured at least 14 towns in Kachin State, along with Namhpatkar Village, which is part of Kutkai Township in northern Shan State, and Mabein Town, also in the same region.
During the Spring Revolution, triggered by the 2021 military coup, the number of towns seized by various resistance forces rose to 88.
