Wa, Mongla say No to Naypyitaw’s BGF program
Two of Burma’s ceasefire groups: the United Wa State Army (UWSA) and National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA) aka Mongla group, claim that their decision to declare ‘No’ to Border Guard Force (BGF) program is because there is no benefit in being BGF as it doesn’t provide any space and rights for the non-Burman ethnic nationalities, according to sources from the Sino-Burma border.
The decision was made up from the two’s latest meeting held on 21-24 August at the UWSA’s headquarters Panghsang after receiving another deadline to respond their acceptance on the program by 1September, 2010, at their meeting with Naypyitaw’s negotiators on 20 August.
“The groups claimed that the BGF program is just a one sided (drawn by the regime) program,” an informed source close to a top official’s family said.
“They [the military regime] did not ask our opinion and did not discuss with us before they created the program. So it is an unfair program. Thus is why we will never accept and put ourselves into such unfair situation,” one of the Wa leaders was reported to have said. “We will also never surrender.”
According to him, the two groups decided to stand firm on their ceasefire agreement and will do their utmost to live in peace with the regime.
“Nevertheless, it will depend on the military regime’s decision whether it wants war or peace,” he added.
With regards to the latest deadline, a report that just came in from the Sino-Burma border says that the deadline was not for the groups to become BGFs, but for them to totally surrender as the BGF deadline had already expired on 28 April.
According to the two’s response to SHAN last week, the groups will continue to uphold the following 4 principles: 1) will not surrender, 2) will not transform into BGF unless their autonomy demands are met, 3) will not shoot first, but they are ready to protect themselves and 4) they will not secede from the Union.
shanland org.news
