The ruling Burmese military junta has scheduled another deadline on the Border Guard Force (BGF) issue for two of Burma’s ethnic ceasefire groups: the United Wa State Army (UWSA) and the National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA) aka Mongla group at its latest meeting on 20 August, according to sources from the Sino-Burma border.

The two have been ‘instructed’ to give their acceptance on transforming themselves into the BGF by the first week of September, said a source from Shan State North’s Tangyan, where the meeting between the UWSA and Lt-Gen Ye Myint, Chief of Military Affairs Security (MAS), was held.

In keeping with Naypyitaw’s invitation, the UWSA and NDAA on 20 August met junta’s negotiators led by Lt-Gen Ye Myint and Maj-Gen Kyaw Phyoe, Commander of Golden Triangle Region Command respectively on the same day, but at different venues.

The UWSA led by Bo Lakham, Chairman of the Political Consultative Conference, met Lt-Gen Ye Myint at Tangyan, 83 miles southwest of Shan State North’s capital Lashio for about half an hour from 9:30 to 10:00 and the NDAA led by its Vice Chairman Khun Hsang Lu and Sai Kham Mawng, Deputy Commander of General Staff, met Maj-Gen Kyaw Phyoe at Shan State East’s capital Kengtung at 13:00 (local time).

“At the meeting between Ye Myint and the UWSA, Ye Myint said that the election was drawing near so he would urge the UWSA to reconsider its decision on the BGF before the polls,” the source said.

If the groups failed to convert themselves into BGF by the deadline again, it will be automatically designated as “an unlawful association or illegal organizations.”    

Nevertheless, Panghsang was said to have given no response to Ye Myint other than saying they were not authorized to make any decision without their supreme leader’s guidance.

Mongla was given the same message like Panghsang, said an informed source. “The group just said that they had nothing new to inform.”

Concerning the BGF program, many deadlines had been set for the ceasefire groups, and the latest was 28 April 2010. But after the 28 April deadline, the junta and ethnic ceasefires groups met a couple of times; one was in May and the second was in June 22. According to the resolution from the 22 June meeting, there would be no new deadline for the groups because the military junta would just hand it over to the new government to handle if the elections are held.

Anti-BGF programme groups are: the UWSA, the MNDAA, Kachin Independent Army (KIA), Shan State Army (SSA) ‘North’’s First Brigade, the Kayan New Land Party (KNLP) and New Mon State Party (NMSP). All decided to remain unchanged unless their autonomy demands are met and they will not also support or participate in the general elections.

The UWSA and NDAA said they will be up holding the following four principles: 1) will not surrender, 2) will not transform into BGF unless their autonomy demands are met, 3) will not shoot first, but they are ready to protect themselves and they will not secede from the Union, sources said.