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| An Old Guard leader returns to the fray Posted: 09 Apr 2014 05:40 AM PDT Very few at the "historic" (according to Kachin general Gun Maw) meeting on 5 April in Rangoon, where 21 armed resistance movements (ARMs) in Burma had sent their representatives, knew or heard of him. Many of them, both Burman and non-Burman alike, were more familiar with Mongla's top leader, Sai Leun aka U Sai Lin aka Lin Mingxian, his two deputies, Hsan Per and Hsang Lu, and former General Secretary Min Ein, who was gunned down near Mongla's Oriental Hotel on 27 January 2010 by an assassin who is still at large.  Kyi Myint, on 16 November 1968, directing the operations in Hsi Hsin Wan, Muse township (Photo: Land of Jade, Bertil Lintner) His assassination, taking place at the height of tensions caused by Naypyitaw's demand that all ARMs that had concluded ceasefire agreements since 1989 transform themselves into Burma Army-controlled People's Militia Forces (PMFs) or Border Guard Forces (BGFs), had created a sensation. The National Democratic Front (NDF), the predecessor to today's United Nationalities Council (UNFC), issued a statement on the next day saying a secret order to assassinate leaders of ceasefire groups that had resisted government demand to become PMFs/BGFs came out from Naypyitaw following the Tri-annual meeting held there in November. Following Min Ein's untimely demise, a Shan, Sai Hseng La, was appointed in his place. Three years later, Kyi Myint aka Zhang Zhiming, now 64, returned to Mongla after more than a decade absence. By the end of 2013, he was appointed to replace Sai Hseng La, who became head of the local administration.  Kyi Myint, on 5 April 2014, speaking at the ''historic'' meeting (Photo: RCSS)It was after his return that Mongla began its call for a self-administered status, a right currently enjoyed by Wa, Danu, PaO, Palaung, Kokang and Naga. Indeed at the meeting in Rangoon, Kyi Myint, as Mongla's spokesman, spoke in favor of its ally the United Wa State Army (UWSA)'s demand for a separate statehood and reiterated its own call to be elevated to a self administered level. "It was as though the Wa and Mongla had had a rehearsal together before coming," commented a participant. Kyi Myint, according to Bertil Lintner, was born in 1950 in Wanding, opposite Shan State's Panghsai near Muse. He joined the Communist Party of Burma (CPB) in 1968 as a Red Guard volunteer along with Lin Mingxian. He was regarded as one of CPB's ablest commanders. His departure from Mongla, a few years after Lin concluded a ceasefire in 1989, was said to be "because he couldn't get along with Lin Hongshen (aka Min Ein)." Now that he's back, it is clear Mongla is in the hands of a man with better political acumen. Whether it will make the work of peacemakers more difficult or easier is anybody's guess at present, though. |
| 2008 constitution and Wa call for statehood Posted: 08 Apr 2014 07:32 AM PDT If Wa wants a separate from the Shans, it is not by antagonizing them, but by waging a charm offensive, according to the military-drawn constitution. The Wa, together with PaO, Palaung, Kokang and Danu, has been granted a Self Administered statues with 6 townships in Shan State, of which 4: Pangwai, Mongmai, Napharn, and Panghsang (Pangkham) are under the control of the United Wa State Army (UWSA) and 2 (Hopang and Markmang) under the Burma Army. In addition, the northwestern part of Mongyang township (designated Mongpawk sub-township by Naypyitaw), and some parts of Mongton and Monghsat townships on the Thai-Burmese border are effectively under Wa control.  Map: Wa and Mongla controlled areas Moreover, Mongla that has demanded an Akha Self Administered status, if approved, will virtually become a Wa vassal. So what does the 2008 constitution has to say about this? Article 53 has outlined the following procedure:
But since 2 April, the UWSA's 171st Military Region, known as its southern command, has crossed the Salween to the west bank under the Shan State Army (SSA)'s sway to set up outposts that would guard its gold dredging activities on the river. Inevitably, an armed confrontation has taken place. Loi Taileng, the SSA headquarters, says it has notified both Panghsang and Naypyitaw to observe the ceasefire that had been concluded since 2011. So far neither the UWSA nor the Burma Army appears to have taken notice. 2008 constitution or not, one thing seems to be certain if this sad deterioration of relationship between the Wa and the Shan continues: The Shan can forget their struggle for greater autonomy and the Wa their struggle for a statehood. Because the ultimate winner can be no other than the Burma Army leaders who still cherish their dreams of establishing the 4th Burmese empire. |
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