The United Wa State Army (UWSA), a powerful ethnic armed group based along Myanmar’s borders with China and Thailand, is preparing to reopen a key mine in its territory, according to reports.
The mine, in the Wa Self-Administered Region’s Man Shiang District, was closed in August 2023 as part of an effort to limit the extraction of non-renewable mineral resources in the region.
During a five-day annual meeting held last week at the UWSA’s Pangkham (Panghsang) headquarters, the group approved nine action plans for 2025, including the reopening of the mine, local media outlet Wa News Land reported, citing a UWSA statement.
“I understand that they are still conducting assessments for restarting the mine. Many other mines have already opened,” UWSA spokesperson Nyi Rang confirmed when contacted by Myanmar Now.
The UWSA-controlled Wa Self-Administered Region has numerous tin-mining operations and is a key source of raw materials for neighbouring China, the world’s largest producer of refined tin.
According to Reuters, citing Chinese customs data and the International Tin Association (ITA), 77 percent of China’s tin ore imports in 2022 came from Myanmar, and about 70 percent of Myanmar’s tin ore production came from the Wa region.
The UWSA’s decision to suspend tin mining on August 1, 2023, caused ripples in the Chinese and global tin markets.
The group’s nine action points for 2025 include reopening the Man Shiang mine, continuing political reforms, controlling illegal businesses, increasing renewable energy production, promoting economic development through China-Myanmar ties, and strengthening international relations, agriculture, education, and healthcare.
The UWSA has consistently maintained a neutral stance towards the anti-junta movement that emerged after the military seized power in February 2021, overthrowing Myanmar’s democratically elected civilian government.
Since then, other ethnic armed groups and allied resistance forces have captured wide swathes of territory, including many areas rich in mineral resources.
On Thursday, the regime announced that it would combat resource extraction in resistance-held areas, which has become a major source of revenue for groups opposed to the junta.
