The United Wa State Army (UWSA) has been busy composing a suitable response to the latest proposal made by Burma’s ruling military generals, even as all ceasefire groups anxiously await their response before coming up with their own views, according to a highly-placed source close to the leadership.
The source said given the overwhelming opposition to the proposal that the ceasefire groups transform themselves into border defence forces by the generals, with a total disregard for their calls for greater autonomy and democracy, the problem was not what to tell the generals but rather how to tell them.
“A meeting was held following the return of (Vice President) Xiao Minliang from Tangyan, where he met Lt-Gen Ye Myint, Chief of Military Affairs Security to hear out the Border Guard Force proposition,” he said. “Only 2 per cent were undecided. The rest were of the opinion that the proposal was unacceptable,” he added.
According to him, considering the junta’s policy of self-reliance for its own units, which has caused enormous burden on the local populace, it was better for the UWSA to rely on itself to feed, clothe and equip its own troops. “We also foresee communication problems, as few of us are familiar with the Burmese language,” he said. “Having Burmese officers live among us and train us will not ease the problem,” he opined.
The Wa has been given until the end of June to respond to the “ultimatum”. “This is the second time in a year we are receiving an ultimatum,” he remembered.
Following what is known as the “Nargis” referendum on the junta-drafted Constitution, the Wa was told to disarm themselves by August 2008. The latter had then flatly refused to comply with these terms.
Bao Youliang (Wa supreme leader’s younger brother and finance chief) had also pointed out to Ye Myint during the meeting in Tangyan, that given the fact that the two top junta commanders were septuagenarians, it was unfair to demand that Wa officers over 50 should retire.
The Wa’s closest ally Mongla is also undergoing several meetings at every level both to explain and sound out about Naypyitaw’s latest proposal. “We will also ask the people whether or not they would like to live under Burma Army rule,” a Mongla source said.
So far, only about 5% of the leadership, who have made huge financial investments in Burma, have voted to go along with Naypyitaw’s demand, the source told SHAN.
Meanwhile, automobiles in the areas under the control of the National Democratic Alliance Army-Eastern Shan State (NDAA-ESS), Mongla’s official name, have been instructed to stand by. No reason has been given.
The Wa has also continued to block the entry of immigration officials, who since April 4, have been stranded at Kho Hsoong, which marks the boundary between Panghsang and Mongla’s domains. “Naypyitaw said they would not return without accomplishing their mission (taking census in Wa areas) and the Wa are not letting them in,” explained a source from nearby Mongyang.
Conducting a census and reorganizing ceasefire groups under the Tatmadaw supervision are part of the ruling junta’s preparations for the 2010 elections. So far, the election law is yet to be announced.
