Mongla to consider setting up party

^{13 November 2008}

The agreement was the outcome of the meeting between Lt-Gen Ye Myint, chief of the Military Affairs Security (MAS) with a 3 men delegation led by Hsan Perh in Kengtung on 18 October, he said. Two other delegates were Min Ein and Sai Tip Holong.
 
All of them had accompanied Maj-Gen Kyaw Phyoe, Commander of Triangle Region Command, who was visiting Mongla, on his way back to Kengtung, 160 km north of the Thai-Burma border.
 
“It doesn’t mean that we have agreed to set up a party,” the source said, “because whatever we are going to do, we need to consult our allies first.”
 
The NDAA-ESS is a member of the Peace and Democracy Front (PDF) formed in 1989. Two other members are Kokang and Wa. The Shan State Army (SSA) North has also established close ties with the Wa though not a member.
 
“Whatever the decision is going to be, it doesn’t include giving up our arms,” he concluded.
 
Thus far, the electoral law has yet to be announced by the ruling military junta, although junta backed Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) and National Unity Party (NUP) have already launched election campaigns countrywide.
 
Speaking on this, one border watcher has given the following observation: “One reason the electoral law has yet to come out may be because Naypyidaw wants areas under the control of the ceasefire groups to be included in the list of constituencies.”
 
At least 3 of the ceasefire groups stand more than a good chance to win seats in townships under their sway:

• Kokang           in         Laokai and Kungjang
• Wa                   in         Hopang, Mongmai, Pangwai, Napharn and Panghsang
• NDAA-ESS    in         Mongla

 
Wa and Naypyidaw in the meanwhile have yet to resolve their long-running dispute over two areas: Mawfa now renamed Markmang (Burmese spelling: Metman) taken by the Burma Army since 1980 and Mongpawk, formerly of Mongyang township, but occupied by the Wa since the days of the Communist Party of Burma (CPB), 1968-89.
 
The crunch is that while Napyidaw wants to return Markmang to the Wa in exchange for Mongpawk, the Wa say Mongpawk is essential for their survival as it is the only outlet to Mongla and the Mekong river and the junta is trying to close it.
 
Many of these townships, formerly under CPB leadership, were not in the list of constituencies announced by the electoral law in 1988, a year before its fall which paved the way for ceasefire pacts between the Burma Army and the ex-CPB ethnic armies.

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