The United Wa State Army (UWSA)'s southern command operating along the Thai-Burma border was recently urged yet again by the Burmese military authorities to "exchange arms for peace," an euphemism for surrender, according to Thai and Shan sources.
Commanders of the UWSA's six brigades, led by Wei Xueying, younger brother of Wei Xuegang, wanted in both US and Thailand on drug charges, met junta commanders led by Brig-Gen Way Lin, Deputy Commander of the Kengtung-based Triangle Region Command, at Wanhong, Monghsat township, opposite Chiangmai province on September 18.
He was reportedly accompanied by commanders of Monghsat-based Military Operations Command (MOC) 14, Mongton and Loilang area commands and Infantry Battalion 133.
Paw Htao Hsarm, as Wei Xueying is locally known, had responded by saying that the decision whether or not to surrender lay not with the Wa southern command but with Panghsang, the Wa capital on the Sino-Burma border.
The Wa also told Way Lin it would be extremely ill-advised to move back to the north almost 20 years after they were encouraged to move down to the south to fight against the Burma Army's main enemies, the defunct Mong Tai Army (MTA) led by the late Khun Sa and now the Shan State Army (SSA) South led by Yawd Serk. "We have invested billions (of kyat) in several livestock and agricultural projects since," one commander was quoted as saying. "We won't move an inch unless and until there is adequate compensation for our sweat and tears."
The Wa has certainly sunk hundreds of millions of Baht in reforestation as well as plantations of longan, orange, coffee, tea, grape and especially rubber, according to Thai sources.
Some veteran Thai security officials are of the opinion that the Burmese Army is not ready to fight two fronts at the same time: one against its urban opposition and the other against armed ceasefire armies. "For one thing, we have yet to see any indications that it is mounting an offensive," said one this morning. "And the other is that the Army has issued orders that all regional commands try their best to maintain good relations with the ceasefire groups."
A Shan ceasefire officer conceded that he had also received the same information. "However, the news has rather kept us on the lookout," he said, "as it could be a ploy designed to catch us off guard."
Burma's ruling junta announced on February 9 that the new general elections would be held in 2010 following the approval of its draft constitution by a national referendum in May. Since then all ceasefire groups have been under pressure to give up their arms and form political parties to stand for elections. The groups have so far resisted opting to deal with the next government of Burma on the issue.
