Mong Ton ( Burmese: မိုင်းတုံမြို့,

MLCTS The Myanmar Language Commission Transcription System (1980), also known as the MLC Transcription System (MLCTS), is a transliteration system for rendering Burmese in the Latin alphabet. It is loosely based on the common system for romanization of ...

: ''muing.tu.mrui'') also known historically as Möngtung and Maington, is the capital of

Mong Ton District Mong Ton Township () is the only township in Mong Ton District () and is the westernmost part of Eastern Shan State in Myanmar. The capital town is Mong Ton. It borders are Mong Pying Township to the north, Mong Hsat Township to the east, Mong N ...

and seat of

Mong Ton Township Mong Ton Township () is the only township in Mong Ton District () and is the westernmost part of Eastern Shan State in Myanmar. The capital town is Mong Ton. It borders are Mong Pying Township to the north, Mong Hsat Township to the east, Mong N ...

southern

Shan State Shan State (, ; , ) is a administrative divisions of Myanmar, state of Myanmar. Shan State borders China (Yunnan) to the north, Laos (Louang Namtha Province, Louang Namtha and Bokeo Provinces) to the east, and Thailand (Chiang Rai Province, Chia ...

in eastern

Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...

near the border with

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

. ''Mong'' is equivalent to ''Township'' or ''land''."Ton"is equivalent to oyal City It is located in the

Daen Lao Range The Daen Lao Range (,
; ) is a mountain range of the Shan State Shan State (, ; , ) is a administrative divisions of Myanmar, state of Myanmar. Shan State borders China (Yunnan) to the north, Laos (Louang Namtha Province, Louang Namtha and Bokeo Provinces) to the east, and Thailand (Chiang Rai Province, Chia ...

, east of the

Salween River The Salween is a Southeast Asian river, about long, flowing from the Tibetan Plateau south into the Andaman Sea. The Salween flows primarily within southwest China and eastern Myanmar, with a short section forming the border of Myanmar and Tha ...

. Mong Ton lies on the National Highway 22 and connected to NarrkgMuu and Ponparkyin, is also connected to

Mong Hsat Mong Hsat ( Burmese: မိုင်းဆတ်မြို့, MLCTS: ''muing.chat.mrui'') is a town in the Shan State of Myanmar, the capital of Mong Hsat Township. It is served by Monghsat Airport. History Monghsat State (Mönghsat, where ...

by National Highway 49 which begins to the north-east of the town.

History

Mong Ton has had a turbulent and unstable history. According to Shan tradition

King Naresuan Naresuan (1555/1556 – 25 April 1605), commonly known as Naresuan the Great, or Sanphet II was the 18th Monarchy of Thailand, king of the Ayutthaya Kingdom and 2nd monarch of the List of monarchs of Thailand#Sukhothai dynasty (1569–1629), S ...

was cremated and his ashes interred in a

stupa In Buddhism, a stupa (, ) is a domed hemispherical structure containing several types of sacred relics, including images, statues, metals, and '' śarīra''—the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns. It is used as a place of pilgrimage and m ...

in Mong Ton. in 1888, when the area was part of

British Burma British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and cultur ...

, Möngtung, Möng Hang, Möng Hat and Möng Kyawt, were claimed by

Siam Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

and were occupied secretly by Siamese troops. A fifth district, Möng Hsat, was also claimed by Siam, but no garrisons were posted there. The districts were

annexed Annexation, in international law, is the forcible acquisition and assertion of legal title over one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. In current international law, it is generally held to ...

by Thailand in 1942, following the

Japanese invasion of Burma The Japanese invasion of Burma was a series of battles fought in the British colony of Burma (present-day Myanmar) as part of the Pacific Theater of World War II. The initial invasion in 1942 resulted in the capture of Rangoon and the retre ...

and were added to the

Saharat Thai Doem ''Saharat Thai Doem'' () was an administrative division of Thailand. It encompassed parts of the Shan States of British Burma annexed by the Thai government after the Japanese conquest of Burma. By means of this annexation, Axis powers, Axis-a ...

territory. They were returned to

at the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. More recently there have been conflicts between the

Shan State Army – South The Shan State Army (; abbreviated SSA or RCSS/SSA), also known as the Shan State Army – South (SSA-S), is the armed wing of the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) and one of the largest insurgent groups in Myanmar (Burma). The RCSS/S ...

(SSA-S) and the

Myanmar Armed Forces The Tatmadaw, also known as the Sit-Tat, is the armed forces of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is administered by the Ministry of Defence and composed of the Myanmar Army, the Myanmar Navy and the Myanmar Air Force. Auxiliary services includ ...

, although the problem is worse in the

Kyethi Kyethi (;) (Kyethi or Kehsi) is the main town of Kyethi Township, Mong Hsu District, in the Shan State of Burma. The main town is Kesi (Kyethi or Kehsi). Highway 442 passes through Kyethi town. History Kehsi, located by the Nam Heng River, was ...

Mongkung Mong Kung, Mongkung, Mongkaung or Möngkung (; ) is a town in Shan State some east of Mandalay. It is the capital of Mong Kung Township, Myanmar. Etymology The name "Mong Kung" means "town producing horse saddlery" in Shan language, Shan, and ...

, and

Laihka Lai-Hka () is the principal town of Lai-Hka Township in central Shan State of Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in north ...

Townships. In Mong Ton and Mong Hsat Township, the SPDC has demanded the removal of some UWSA military outposts and the Burmese Army is exerting more pressure on Lahu militias to conscript more soldiers and prepare to fight both the SSA–S and the UWSA. The SPDC supported three basic military training courses for the Lahu militia in Mong Ton during 2009. Given its location near the border with Thailand and internal conflict, the Myanmar Armed Forces have the important IB277 military base just outside the town. There are five Burmese army battalions in Mong Ton town alone.Free Burma Rangers
Trafficking of

narcotics The term narcotic (, from ancient Greek ναρκῶ ''narkō'', "I make numb") originally referred medically to any psychoactive compound with numbing or paralyzing properties. In the United States, it has since become associated with opiates ...

is a major problem in Mong Ton and Burma is the number two opium producer in the world after

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

, and one of the leading producers of amphetamines in South East Asia. The

Free Burma Rangers Free Burma Rangers (FBR; ) is a Christian multinational humanitarian aid and advocacy organization. It was founded in 1997 by David Eubank in response to the humanitarian crisis arising from the ongoing Myanmar Civil War. They operate in Myanmar, ...

have alleged that the army is involved in the production and trafficking of narcotics in order to profit from the trade in opium, heroin and amphetamines. Opium is cultivated and it is not only processed for trade abroad it is also consumed by some local villagers and has created drug addiction problems. In April 2022, it was split from

Mong Hsat District Mong Hsat District () is a district of Shan State in Myanmar. It only contains one township- townships: *Mong Hsat Township ** Mong Khoke Subtownship Prior to 2022, it consisted of 2 townships. In April 2022, the Ministry of Home Affairs (Myanmar ...

to form its own district -

References

{{Coord, 20, 18, N, 98, 56, E, display=title, region:MM_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki Populated places in Shan State Mong Ton Township Township capitals of Myanmar