Mong Tai Army
| Mong Tai Army | |
|---|---|
|
မုန်တိုင်းတပ်မတော်၊ တပ်ႉသိုၵ်းမိူင်းတႆး Participant in the Internal conflict in Myanmar |
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Flag of the Mong Tai Army
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| Active | 1985–1996 |
| Ideology |
Shan nationalism Separatism |
| Leaders | Khun Sa |
| Headquarters | Ho Mong, Langkho District |
| Area of operations | Shan State, Myanmar |
| Strength | 20,000 |
| Originated as | Shan United Army Tai Revolutionary Council |
| Became |
 Shan State National Army Shan State Army - South
|
| Opponents |
State opponents Non-state opponents |
| Battles and wars | Internal conflict in Myanmar |
State opponents
Non-state opponents
The Mong Tai Army (Burmese: မုန်တိုင်းတပ်မတော်; sometimes transcripted Muang Tai Army; abbreviated MTA), was an insurgent group consisting of soldiers from the Shan minority in Myanmar, founded in 1985 by Khun Sa. It had up to 20,000 armed troops at its peak, and was one of the largest forces opposing the government of Myanmar at its time. It was also involved in drug trafficking in Southeast Asia.
The MTA had its headquarters in Ho Mong (Homein), Langkho District, a village near the border of Mae Hong Son Province.
The Mong Tai Army was founded in 1985, after the merging of two rebel factions; Khun Sa's Shan United Army (SUA) and Moh Heng's "Tai Revolutionary Council" faction of the Shan United Revolutionary Army (SURA). Despite officially stating that their goal is ultimately independence for Shan State, both groups have been accused of acting as private armies for Shan warlords (Khun Sa and Moh Heng, respectively). They have both also been accused of being heavily involved in the drug trade in the Golden Triangle, an area that produces millions of dollars of opium every year.
In the 1990s, the Mong Tai Army had a peak strength of 20,000 soldiers. After heavy battles against the Tatmadaw (Myanmar Armed Forces) between 1993 and 1995, tensions grew between the Shan nationalist field officers and the Chinese leaders. Shan nationalists wanted to achieve an independent state for the Shan minority, while the Chinese leaders were more interested in the illicit opium trade and the money that it earned.
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