The ruling military junta will supply weapons and guns for every member of militia units under its control in order to be able to provide support for the junta's future military activities, according to informed sources from Shan State North.

It was informed by Director of People's militias and Border Forces Directorate, Maj-Gen Maung Maung Ohn, while he was meeting 16 local militia units from Shan State North's Tangyan Township on Monday, 13 December.

"He mainly talked about the militia units' role and how we should be ready for service," said a source close to Manpang Militia Force, which is the strongest and biggest group in the township.

The meeting lasted one and half hours from 19:00-20:30 (local time) and attended by about 200 militia men.

"There are only 3 organizations that are allowed to hold weapons, the Tatmadaw (The Army), police and militia units," the source quoted Maj-Gen Maung Maung Ohn as saying.

According to him, the total strength of the militias across the country is over 80,000. However, only 30,000 of them were armed. He promised each militia unit will soon be fully armed, some with heavy weapons.
Militia units in Tangyan have been formed into 6 companies, a local resident said.

Nawngpha group is specified as the First Company and led by Sai Hla Aung and Sai Kham Leng, a leading member of Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). It has 80 men, half of whom are armed.

The Second Company, called Myo Ma militia, has 60 guns for 80 men and is led by Sai Than Tin. The Third is led by former Burma Army soldier Aung Win Naing. His group has 40 men with 20 guns and has been guarding junta positions east of the Salween.

The strength of the Fourth is 250 and it has 150 guns. The Fifth is Bo Mon of Manpang, has 600 guns for its 800 men and the Sixth, led by Ma Guowen, has 150 total men and 60 guns.

"Weapons that the militia men are using are old weapons of Khun Sa's Mong Tai Army and Kokang group which they [the junta] seized during last year's offensive," the source said.

He added what Maj-Gen Maung Maung Ohn said, "The militia is the strength of the country. It is responsible for keeping an eye on the groups that do not transform into border guard forces.

Starting from 2008, the Burma Army has been recruiting and forming militia battalions across the country in accordance with Naypyitaw's policy to set up 1 militia battalion in each village tract. And it has also been giving military trainings to the militia members. There are 13,725 village tracts in the whole of Burma, according to a 2007 report by the exiled Network for Democracy and Development (NDD).