Ceasefire groups ordered to remove their emblems

Ceasefire groups ordered to remove their emblems

Groups that have ceasefire agreements with the junta were being ordered to remove their signboards and emblems from public view since mid-May, said a source from the Chinese border yesterday. 

On 16 May, MI-23, the military intelligence detachment of Muse, opposite Ruili (Mongmao in Shan) of Yunnan, called a meeting that was attended by several ceasefire groups. 

The officer (name not mentioned) was quoted as saying only signboards that described the groups as pure business firms would be permitted. 

Accordingly, names and insignias of each group must be pulled out. 

The source said it was the same everywhere in the Shan State. "In Taunggyi (the capital), owners of vehicles with the groups' names and stickers were told to wipe them out." 

So far, the order has yet to be carried out properly, he said. "Every group is waiting for some other groups to make the first move. The UWSA (United Wa State Army), considered the most stubborn, is being expected to take the lead".