Wa delegation holds talks with Myanmar junta as analysts see possible political concessions

A senior delegation from the political wing of Myanmar’s powerful United Wa State Army (UWSA) met junta chief Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyitaw this week, marking the latest round of talks between his regime and one of the country’s strongest ethnic armed organisations as the junta seeks to advance its peace initiative. The junta said discussions held Monday and Tuesday with representatives of the United Wa State Party (UWSP) focused on peace, regional development, health care, and education. The meetings followed a June visit by the junta’s National Solidarity and Peacemaking Negotiation Committee (NSPNC) to the Wa headquarters in Panghsang (Pangkham). In a statement released Tuesday, the junta said the Wa delegation reaffirmed its support for Min Aung Hlaing after he assumed the role of president, pledged to cooperate within the framework of preserving the Union, backed the military’s peace process, and said it remained open to resolving differences through dialogue. The statement also said both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation against illegal drug trafficking and online scam operations, which have proliferated in Myanmar’s border regions in recent years. The Wa delegation has not publicly disclosed details of the discussions. A Wa official told Myanmar Now that delegates would first report to senior leaders before commenting on the substance of the talks. “This time was to introduce the new generation of leaders,” the official said, reiterating that the talks centred on health care, education, and regional development. The delegation was led by UWSP Vice Chairman Xiao Guoan and included Deputy General Secretary Pauk Aik Kham, Political Officer Htin Sam Rong of the UWSA’s 171st Military Region, and representatives from brigades 417 and 468. Observers said the presence of senior military representatives suggested that officials with decision-making authority took part in the negotiations. Political analysts said the talks likely also addressed the Wa leadership’s long-standing demand for statehood, although the issue was not mentioned in the junta’s statement. “The Wa have been asking for statehood for a long time,” a Yangon-based political analyst said. “The junta referred to discussions on fulfilling the Wa’s political aspirations under the 2008 Constitution. That suggests there could be room for concessions.” UWSA soldiers prepare in April 2019 for a military parade marking the 30th anniversary of the group’s ceasefire with Myanmar’s military (Photo: AFP) Min Aung Hlaing told the delegation that his government was committed to achieving national stability and what the military describes as “permanent nationwide peace,” according to a junta statement. The UWSA is Myanmar's largest and best-equipped ethnic armed organisation, controlling a large autonomous enclave along the Chinese border. Under the military-drafted 2008 Constitution, six townships in northeastern Shan State form the Wa Self-Administered Division. However, the UWSA now controls nearly all of that territory after allied forces seized additional areas during Operation 1027 in northern Shan State. The group also maintains forces in southern Shan State near the Thai border through its 171st Military Region. The latest meeting comes as the junta extends a 100-day peace initiative launched in April that was due to end July 31. Military authorities have invited both signatories and non-signatories to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement to participate in negotiations. According to Min Aung Hlaing, the junta has held discussions with six ceasefire signatories and several non-signatory armed groups, including the UWSP, the Shan State Progress Party, the National Democratic Alliance Army based in Mong La, the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, the Chin National Organisation, and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang. The outreach has produced mixed results. The Chin National Organisation announced this week that it had removed its chairman after he met junta representatives in New Delhi without the organisation’s approval, saying the talks did not reflect its official position. Meanwhile, the Arakan Army, one of Myanmar’s most powerful armed groups and a close ally of the UWSA, has rejected the junta’s peace overtures. Spokesperson Khaing Thukha said inviting armed groups to negotiations while continuing airstrikes against them would not produce genuine peace. Despite renewed contacts with several ethnic organisations, analysts said it remains unclear whether the latest talks with the Wa leadership will produce substantive political agreements or simply maintain communication between the two sides.

Wa delegation holds talks with Myanmar junta as analysts see possible political concessions

Two days of meetings in Naypyitaw fuel speculation on possible progress on long-sought political demands, including statehood

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