Burma’s ethnic ceasefire groups, the United Wa State Army (UWSA) and the National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA), which have refused to transform to junta controlled Border Guard Force (BGF) say no political party contesting in the forthcoming general elections will be allowed to canvass for votes in areas under their control, according to local sources on the Sino-Burma border.

A senior Wa officer from Panghsang said the ban includes ethnic Wa parties referring to the Wa Democratic Party (WDP) and Wa National Unity Party (WNUP).

“We cannot play favourites with any party,” he said. “If we allow one, then we have to allow other parties including USDP (Union Solidarity and Development Party).”

The WDP is led by Khun Tun Lu (60), who was a former member of the defunct Burma Socialist Program Party (BSPP) turned National Unity Party (NUP) turned Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) and the one that won the only NUP seat in Shan State in Hopang township in 1990. Other WDP members include Hsai Pao Nap and Jingda, both former BSPP members.

The WDP will contest in four townships, Hopang, Tangyan, Markmang (Metman) and Kunlong, none of which are under Wa control.

The WNUP was formerly the Wa National Development Party (WNDP), one of the 10 parties that were recognized by the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) after the1990 elections.

The party said it will not contest in Wa Self Administered Region as most areas are still not “stable”, and therefore will only focus in Lashio, Kengtung, Tangyan and Hopang townships, where there are significant numbers of Wa people.

The party expects to win seats in the Shan State Hluttaw (Legislature), rather than the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, or Union Parliament.

The Wa is one of the major groups of Shan State and was granted a Self-Administered Region by the junta-sponsored National Convention comprising six townships: Hopang, Mongmai, Pangwai, Nahparn, Panghsang and Markmang. The Wa also controls Mongpawk and some areas along the Thai-Burma border.

A border analyst Aung Kyaw Zaw said the elections are unlikely to be held in the Wa and NDAA areas.

“If the Wa doesn’t allow political parties to come, elections will be held without participation of the people there. And the results will not represent them,” he said.

According to him, the Wa population is over 500,000 and the population in NDAA controlled areas is around 86,000. About 300,000 are eligible to vote.

According to a Myanmar Times report last week, Burma’s population is 59.12 million and 70 per cent of the population is residing in rural areas.

Many rural areas in Burma are controlled by ethnic ceasefire groups and others by ethnic resistance groups.