The China-brokered Lashio Model, which allowed the SAC to retake Lashio while the MNDAA held surrounding areas, marks a shift toward “subcontracting sovereignty” through externally mediated ceasefires. It risks deepening Myanmar’s fragmentation and weakening statehood. 
In this podcast generated by AI, we unpack what the Lashio Model reveals about shifting power dynamics, contested sovereignty, and the urgent need for political guardrails.