The United Wa State Army (UWSA), an ethnic armed group that operates essentially its own fiefdom on the border with China, last week reiterated its refusal to sign the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA).
Following a meeting with State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on the side-lines of the Union Peace Conference on May 26, the UWSA’s head of foreign affairs Zhao Guo An, told media the formidable group has no interest in the pact.
“We will not sign the NCA,” he said.The National League for Democracy has anxiously tried to persuade additional ethnic armed groups to join the NCA, but to no avail. Only the eight initial signatories are party to the agreement, which was drafted by the former administration in consultation with some of the ethnic groups, not including the UWSA.
The Tatmadaw has demanded all groups sign the NCA before participating in peace negotiations.
Amidst this impasse, the UWSA organized a new coalition of ethnic armed groups which has pledged to bypass the NCA along the route to peace.
According to a senior representative from the Northern Alliance – a group of ethnic armed groups currently engaged in fighting with the Tatmadaw – the state counsellor urged the UWA to continue to negotiating the NCA, including with demands for amendment.
However, U Zaw Htay, director general of the State Counsellor’s Office, told a May 27 press conference that the NCA does not need any amendments as it is already a contract of compromises.
“The NCA is not owned by the government, or by the Tatmadaw. It is a paper that emerged after being debated for 17 months,” he said.
The UWSA came to Nay Pyi Taw to attend the second session of the Union Peace Conference – 21st Century Panglong as a member of the Northern Alliance. At the outset of the conference, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing slammed the UWSA and other ethnic organizations party to the self-described “Pangkham” group as trying to undermine the Union.
Translated by Thida Linn
Edited by Laignee Barron
