Mong La Township


Mong La Township is a subdivision of Kengtung District, Shan State, Myanmar. The area borders with China and Laos. The principal town is Mong La. It is situated between Kyaingtung, Mongyan, Mongyaung.
Sharing a long border with China, the Mongla area is a center for the production and traffic of narcotics and illegal wildlife trade. It offers gambling and prostitution to Chinese tourists an unregulated environment outside Myyanmar government control.

Name

Mongla, Mengla or Meungla are different Romanizations of the same Tai word, and both the e and the o here should be pronounced like the Scottish accent pronunciation of u in bucks. Thus, to differentiate Mengla County in China and Mong La Township/settlement in Myanmar the locals call the former Greater Mengla/Mongla while the latter Lesser Mongla/Mengla.

History

Mong La or the Mongla region was the Special Region #4 of Shan before the new constitution. It hosts the National Democratic Alliance Army and its leader Lin Mingxian aka Sai Leun. It was the #815 War Zone of the former Communist Party of Burma. In 2008 the United Wa State Army strongly opposed the move to give away the adjacent area of Mong Pawk from its control because it serves as a link with its ally, the NDAA in Mongla.
In the 2010 General Election, the Mong La constituency for the People's Assembly was cancelled.