The United Wa State Army (UWSA)’s main base, Panghsang, has reportedly called an emergency meeting following the junta personnel’s mass departure and told participants there was no cause to be unduly concerned, local sources said.
The meeting started yesterday, 25 March in the evening at the administrative office. Almost all the administrative officers attended the meeting. There were over 200 officers, said a meeting attendee.
The meeting mainly talked about the current situation among the Burmese Army and the group, and updated how things have been going between the two. “The situation is not as bad as it seems and the departure of junta personnel doesn’t necessarily mean there is going to be fighting.”
“The officers gave a promise that they would inform every single message to villagers, if the situation is getting worse,” he said.
“We were told it was the Burmese Army’s own affair. We were informed the departure was linked to the forthcoming elections.”
“Anyhow, we will inform you and stay beside you whatever happens,” the unnamed head officer said. “We will be here until the new Burmese government emerges.”
On 22 March evening, the Burmese Army instructed all personnel working for NGOs, international organizations and its agencies to evacuate Panghsang, the capital of the Wa region, within two days except its military personnel stationed inside the town.
“They [the remaining military personnel] only have 27 weapons,” the Wa officer said.
Due to the junta’s sudden order, local people thought fighting would break out in the areas. Since then not only the junta personnel have been leaving, but also local residents in the areas are moving to Chinese border towns.
Today, people from Kunlong, north of the Wa-controlled territory, are fleeing to nearby towns and China, a local source told SHAN.
Up to now, about 80 per cent of junta’s personnel working in the Wa controlled areas have left. Only people who don’t have money remained and people who don’t’ want to leave because they are worried it would be difficult to find jobs,” he said.
The Wa said unofficially that returnees will not be allowed to come back to the areas again.
Regarding the movements, Chinese authorities have reportedly told their Burmese counterparts to call those people back, said a source close to Chinese officials. “But it is not yet known whether the Burmese authorities have complied,” he said.
The junta representatives and the Wa authorities will reportedly meet again by the end of the month. However, no venue and date have been set, a border source told SHAN.
Tension between the junta’s military and the group and other ethnic ceasefire groups have been by far the worst since ceasefire groups turned down the Naypyitaw’s Border Guard Force (BGFs) proposal.
