Daniel Pedersen

Junta forced to back down in face of overwhelming alliance of ethnic armies

Mizzima

Dan Pedersen

May 9, 2010

An ethnic opposition leader says Burma’s ruling military junta, the State Peace and Development Council, has had to rethink its offensive against a northern alliance of ethnic armies.

After weeks of bristling at the borders of Kachin, Wa and Shan states, SPDC troops have withdrawn to barracks at Lashio, said Lahu Democratic Front chairman Aik Long.

He said SPDC troops, as they pulled out on May 4, shouted abuse at ethnic army sentries watching them go, saying they would return after the elections to “destroy them”.

Mr Long said five units of SPDC troops, numbering 16,500 men, had withdrawn from forward positions in northern Burma that had them pitched against the Wa, and harassing the cities of Mong La and Pang Sang.

Mr Long was in Pang Sang when the SPDC marched on the city.

“They couldn’t take the city, or Mong La, and have withdrawn to Lashio,” he said.

“But they said they would be back after the elections to fight harder and destroy us.”

Mr Long is a former general-secretary of the National Democratic Front, an ethnic alliance currently headed by Karen National Union vice president David Thackrabaw.

He said SPDC troops engaged the United Wa State Army on April 28 and fought until May 3 “with many hundreds dead”, but withdrew on May 4, returning to their Lashio base.

“They went home,” he said, laughing.

Mr Long said at Mong La, the SPDC had encountered a force of 60,000 ethnic soldiers, headed by the Wa, but including Shan, Lahu and Akha ethnic fighters.

In Pang Sang he said the SPDC had once again withdrawn, encountering an opposing force of about 40,000 soldiers, made up of Wa and Lahu fighters and smaller ethnic groups.

He acknowledged the numbers of ethnic fighters he referred to were significantly greater than numbers previously quoted in news reports – the Wa is generally quoted as having 30,000 men under arms – but he said there had been a rush of civilians looking to join the opposition alliance as fighters.

“Civilian rule is the only way forwards for the country now, and civilians are joining the ethnic armies to ensure this happens.

“There will only be more people joining [the army] as the situation intensifies,” said Mr Long.

The withdrawal by the SPDC must be considered a win for the new northern ethnic alliance that has formed in Burma, consisting of the Wa, Shan, Akha, Lahu and Lisu peoples.

Mr Long said there were also many smaller ethnic minorities that had melded into the alliance.

He said the SPDC would be smarting from its recent failed engagement, having realised it would have to return in greater numbers to exert any control over the major northern cities.

He said the fuel bill for the offensive also would have been costly – transporting more than 16,000 soldiers anywhere requires a lot of diesel.

Mr Long said security was incredibly tight in the north, with the UWSA having taken control of mobile telephony throughout the state.

All caller IDs on all mobile calls are blocked and Wa intelligence are listening 24 hours a day for signs of traitors or to identify SPDC intelligence officers, he said.

At the suggestion the UWSA generally maintained a high level of security because of illicit businesses it was involved, including the drug trade, Mr Long was hardly apologetic.

“It’s a small land, but big money [can be had].

“At the moment the SPDC is brutal and we need an army to protect ourselves – an army needs weapons, ammunition and wages,” he said, in defence of the Wa’s drug trade.

“What we really want is peace,” he said.

“This election the SPDC is proposing is a fake election, it’s not fair and square,” said Mr Long.

“If the SPDC really wants peace then the only way forwards is to first release all of the political prisoners – our leaders.

“But Than Shwe is bent on having a small, centralised area running the whole country and that is wrong,” he said.

ENDS