Shan State Chief Minister, UWSA discuss border trade, election issues
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Phyo/Thant Zin (NP News) - Aug 9
A source familiar with the matter told The Statesman that a group led by Shan State Chief Minister U Aung Aung and the UWSA (United Wa State Army) met in Panghsang, Wa Special Region (2) on August 6 to discuss border trade and election processes.
The high-level meeting, conducted under the direction of the National Defense and Security Council (NDSC), was led by Shan State Chief Minister U Aung Aung and included discussions with some senior UWSA leaders.
“As far as I know, number one is to address border trade issues. Number two is to hold elections successfully in some of UWSA- controlled areas. Number three is to expand government access beyond the current limited education and health sectors to the rest of the ministries. The main issue is border trade and regional stability. This was discussed in Panghsang,” the above-mentioned source said.
While the Shan State government has yet to issue an official statement regarding this meeting as of August 8, the UWSA has indicated that the government pledged to provide development assistance spanning education, healthcare, and other important sectors.
The Statesman's attempts to reach Shan State Government spokesperson for official comment were unsuccessful.
It was reported that the previous general elections in 2010, 2015, and 2020 were not fully held in the "Wa" Special Region (2).
In a related development, a team led by the Chief Minister of Shan State visited Mong La, Special Region (4) on the morning of August 7 and met with officials from the NDAA.
The above source said that discussions were also made for border trade during the Mong La trip.
“Mong La region is also a border area. Authorities have prioritized reopening border trade routes in northern Shan State, which depends on trade,” he said.
The border gate in Mongla Township along the Myanmar-China border has remained closed since the third week of October 2024, marking nearly a year of disrupted cross-border commerce.
Mongla Township was among the 63 townships placed under a state of emergency declaration by the NDSC on the night of July 31.