Wednesday, 16 March 2011 21:30 Phanida
Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – Kyauk Win Kwan, the vice chairman of the United Wa State Party (UWSP), told a party conference that the Wa army can successfully resist the Burmese junta’s order to transform into a Border Guard Force.
The UWSP began a five-day party conference at its headquarters in Pangsang on Wednesday to review the group’s actions in 2010.
More than 213 members are attending the annual conference. Party chairman Bao Yu Xiang did not appear at the Wednesday opening session.
Vice chairman Kyauk Win Kuan told the conference that the group was united, and the United Wa State Army (UWSA) did not suffer any break-away groups in 2010.
Members heard reports from the the UWSP Agriculture and Irrigation Department, the Forestry Department and the Health Department.
The group will discuss its goals for 2011 in the coming days.
UWSA is the strongest ethnic armed group in Burma with more than 30,000 troops. It has rejected the junta’s Border Guard Force plan, but it is open to holding a political dialogue with the new parliamentary government, sources said.
On the other hand, the Burmese junta has rejected the UWSP proposal based on nine points including the designation of Pangsang (Pankham) and Wanhong townships as UWSA sub-military zone.
The new Constitution stipulated that a group of six townships, including Hopang, Mongma, Panwai, Nahpan, Metman and Pangsang (Pankham), would be formed as a Wa Self-Administered Division.
Within the six townships, the junta controls Hopang and Pangsang, the areas where most Wa residents live.
In May 2010, the Wa along with the Kachin Independence Army, National Democratic Alliance Army, Shan State Army-North, and New Mon State Party formed a political alliance to assist each other should one group be attacked by the junta.
Similarly, on February 17, 12 ethnic armed groups, not including the UWSA, formed the United Nationalities Federal Council to cooperate in defending against an attack by junta troops against the ethnic groups.
The UWSA separated from the Burma Communist Party in 1989 and signed a cease-fire agreement with the Burmese junta in the same year.
Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – Kyauk Win Kwan, the vice chairman of the United Wa State Party (UWSP), told a party conference that the Wa army can successfully resist the Burmese junta’s order to transform into a Border Guard Force.
The UWSP began a five-day party conference at its headquarters in Pangsang on Wednesday to review the group’s actions in 2010.
More than 213 members are attending the annual conference. Party chairman Bao Yu Xiang did not appear at the Wednesday opening session.
Vice chairman Kyauk Win Kuan told the conference that the group was united, and the United Wa State Army (UWSA) did not suffer any break-away groups in 2010.
Members heard reports from the the UWSP Agriculture and Irrigation Department, the Forestry Department and the Health Department.
The group will discuss its goals for 2011 in the coming days.
UWSA is the strongest ethnic armed group in Burma with more than 30,000 troops. It has rejected the junta’s Border Guard Force plan, but it is open to holding a political dialogue with the new parliamentary government, sources said.
On the other hand, the Burmese junta has rejected the UWSP proposal based on nine points including the designation of Pangsang (Pankham) and Wanhong townships as UWSA sub-military zone.
The new Constitution stipulated that a group of six townships, including Hopang, Mongma, Panwai, Nahpan, Metman and Pangsang (Pankham), would be formed as a Wa Self-Administered Division.
Within the six townships, the junta controls Hopang and Pangsang, the areas where most Wa residents live.
In May 2010, the Wa along with the Kachin Independence Army, National Democratic Alliance Army, Shan State Army-North, and New Mon State Party formed a political alliance to assist each other should one group be attacked by the junta.
Similarly, on February 17, 12 ethnic armed groups, not including the UWSA, formed the United Nationalities Federal Council to cooperate in defending against an attack by junta troops against the ethnic groups.
The UWSA separated from the Burma Communist Party in 1989 and signed a cease-fire agreement with the Burmese junta in the same year.
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