Maungdaw: The Burmese military junta proposes to replace riot police personnel with a new border defence force in the two Arakanese border townships of Buthidaung and Maungdaw, said a police officer on condition of anonymity.
"It is learnt that two riot battalions will be replaced by border defence forces that are now being formed throughout the border areas of Burma. The plan will be implemented before the 2010 general elections," the officer said.
The junta is now trying to raise border guard forces with many armed ceasefire groups in the ethnic areas of Burma, primarily in the east and north of Burma.
The border guard forces will be placed under the Kha Kha Kyi and will be directly controlled by senior Burmese Army officials from Naypyidaw.
"The authorities plan to guard border areas in Burma with the new border defence force before the 2010 election. The force will be formed as soon as possible by the Burmese military authorities," the police officer said.
Because of this the military authorities are now forcing the ceasefire ethnic groups to transform their forces to border defence forces to guard the border areas.
"Yes, our government has proposed to the ethnic ceasefire armed groups on the eastern borders to serve as border guards under its supervision before the ensuing lection in 2010," he said.
In the western border area, there are no ceasefire groups, but the army authorities will form the border defence force with soldiers from the Burmese Army.
"All ceasefire groups including the DKBA will be transformed into border guards under the direct supervision of army officers. There will be no particular name for the groups after the transformation. The force will be in place from 2010 in all border areas of the country," the officer said, adding, "I do not know if the ethnic groups will come to the western border area for guard duty after they are transformed into a border defence force."
A reliable source said senior military authorities have already ordered local army officers to prepare for the formation of border defence forces in Arakan State.
The largest and most friendly ceasefire group vis a vis the junta is the United Wa State Army in northeast Burma. The USWA was also pressurized by the military junta to change into a border defence force but the armed group refused the junta's proposal. Relations between the USWA and the junta subsequently soured.
The western border has its own border security force, the Nasaka, which is a combined force of several government agencies, including the army, police, customs, and immigration. There is no information as to whether the Nasaka will continue to exist once the new border forces are formed. Nasaka forces were dissolved once in Burma after former Prime Minister General Khin Nyunt was ousted from power.
