Monday, 05 April 2010 20:36 Phanida
Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - Three ethnic armed ceasefire groups have been issued a fresh deadline by the Burmese military junta to convert their armed wings to the Border Guard Force (BGF) by this month.
The regime's representative from Naypyidaw, Lt. Gen. Ye Myint, has told the Shan State Army (North) (SSA-N), United Wa State Army (UWSA) and Eastern Shan State Special Region 4 or Meng La group to respond not later than April 22 and 28.
He met the chairman of the 5,000-strong SSA-N, Lwe Mao, on 2 April in Lashio and told him that the ceasefire group must respond to the regime not later than 22 April on the BGF issue or else the organization will be declared an unlawful association.
Similarly Lt. Gen. Ye Myint met representatives of the 30,000-strong UWSA and 2,000-strong Meng La group separately on 1 April and 28 March respectively. He directed the ceasefire groups to give details of the number of their soldiers and the arms they have to the junta or else be declared as unlawful associations.
Thailand based Burma observer Win Min assumes the negotiations are likely to continue.
Meanwhile the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) Vice-Chairman Gawri Zau Sai met Lt. Gen. Ye Myint again yesterday. But the imbroglio is yet to be resolved. The junta wants a meeting yet again and wants KIO to transform its armed wing into the BGF before 28 April.
Monday, April 5, 2010
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