The United Wa State Army’s 9 point counter proposal for its transformation into a Burma Army run Border Guard Force (BGF) was turned down by Naypyitaw on Saturday, 13 March, according to a source close to the Wa leadership.
“The UWSA’s liaison officer in Rangoon was informed by one of the staff officers of Lt-Gen Ye Myint (junta chief negotiator for the BGF program) that Naypyitaw stands by its package program reiterated on 25 February (to Wa leader Bao Youxiang in Tangyan),” recounted the source. “Any concession to the Wa proposal would only lead to division and conflict, he said.”
On the same day, Burma Army units were reported purchasing boats from villagers on the Pang river, a tributary of the Salween, presumably to be used in cross-river attack of the UWSA.
Naypyitaw has threatened to launch an offensive against the UWSA if its BGF program was either in part or whole rejected by Panghsang.
The new reinforcements are from Chengdu (Headquarters of the Chengdu Military Region in Sichuan).
Beijing will not meddle in Burma’s internal affairs, Chinese officials have reportedly assured Naypyitaw. “The troops are there only to monitor the possible influx of refugees and to look after them,” he quoted a Chinese official as saying.
An unconfirmed report however says current preparations against the UWSA are only “a red herring.” The actual attack would be against either the Shan State Army (SSA) North, the UWSA’s ally on the west bank of the Salween, or on the Shan State Army (SSA) South, according to it. “China may care less about an offensive against the SSA (both of which operate mainly west of the Salween) than one against the Wa (who operates east of the Salween along the Sino-Burma border,” the source close to the SSA North explains.
Source :http://shanland.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2963:junta-spurns-wa-proposal&catid=86:war&Itemid=284
Comments
Post a Comment