The process of converting the New Democratic Army - Kachin (NDA-K), a Kachin ceasefire group into the Border Guard Force (BGF) has begun in earnest. It is being transformed into three battalions of the BGF. Locations for the army camps have been demarcated.
The area demarcated for the BGF battalion no.1001 is near Phe Maw village in Che Vay township, battalion no.1002 will be based on the ground between Che Vay and Lu Pi village and no.1003 at Sin Kyai village near Kan Paik Tee in Has Don township, said a close friend of NDA-K leaders.
"No.1001 will be at Phe Maw, No.1002 between Phe Maw and Lu Pi and No.1003 at Sin Kyin near Kan Paik Tee. Lu pi located at the junction between Che Vay and Pangwa. The distance between Lu Pi and Pangwa is about 10 miles. The Burmese Army Infantry battalion No. 74 is based at Pangwa under a company commander," said a Pangwa local.
The Pangwa local said the Pai Hsun Chain led Kokan Army in Lauk Kai region in Kokan will be transformed into BGF no.1004, and no.1005.
The NDA-K split from the Communist Party of Burma (CPB) in December 1989 and signed a ceasefire agreement. The group agreed to transform BGF on June 8.
The U La Hsag Aung Wa led ceasefire group, which split from the Kachin Independence Organization in 2005, transformed to the Kawa Yan militia on October 16. A company from the Kawa Yan militia group will be based at Gway Htu village and another company at Kawa Yan village in Waingmaw Township.
In a BGF battalion, there will be 326 soldiers of them 30 will be from the Burmese Army. The BGF battalions will be under the command of the Commander-in–Chief of the army.
Some NDA-K members have been attending military training at Pyin Htaung boot camp in Myitkyina. The remaining NDA-K soldiers will be re-trained.
The Kachin Independence Organization, United Wa State Army, and Mueng La army, a special region 4 in eastern Shan State, have refused to transform to BGF so far.
