The Communist Party of Burma (CPB) entered Shan State on New Year Day 1968, captured Mong Ko, and established the first war zone ‘303’ of the CPB North-East Command (NEC). This was quickly followed by ‘404’ in Kokang substate winning over the local warlord Pheung Kya-shin.[8]
For 20 years Pheung controlled Kokang as a member of the Communist Party of Burma.[9] In 1989, however, the CPB split up[9] and Pheung established his own army, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army,[10] with which he mutinied and captured Mong Ko town.[11] After this he signed a cease-fire with the military junta, which allowed the Kokang army to retain their weapons, and established an autonomous Kokang region as the "First Special Region" of Myanmar.[10][12]
The Northern Alliance launched an offensive to capture Mong Ko on 20 November 2016.[13] The town was recaptured by the Myanmar Army in December 2016.[14]