Si Thu Aung Myint's conclusion that the United Wa State Army (UWSA) needs to adjust it policies according to the changing realities is a correct assessment, but too early to say that its days might be numbered.

Two delegates from the United Wa State Army at the 21st Century Panglong Conference on August 31. (Romeo Gacad / AFP)

The UWSA aspiring for a separate statehood within the union, is a tall order, especially when Burma, a multi-ethnic state is not made up of a neatly demarcated ethnic settlement but a mixed habitation pattern. The area that the UWSA likes to claim is nearly all of the eastern Shan State, which are inhabited by majority Shan/Tai and other sub-ethnic groups.

Other than that, if the UWSA aspiration is entertained, there will be ethnic friction and even open conflict between the Shan and the Wa, which have co-habited harmoniously before the set up of the UWSA, after the disintegration of the Communist Party of Burma (CPB).

During the British era, the Wa had their own Saohpa or Sawbwa with its own administrative unit, harmoniously interacting with the some 33 units Federated Shan States. Actually this could still be the modal of decentralization in a bigger Federal Union context, even for all other states and units within the present day Burma.

Finally, the UWSA or the Wa ethno-nationalism upsurge is understandable, as it is a global trend and also a phenomenon, but has to be adjusted in a different way and not edging out other ethnic groups, with force or military might. As mentioned, the Federated Shan States modal might be a better way out for all ethnicity within Shan State and beyond, like for example, the Pa-O, Palaung and lately the Tai Leng or Shan-ni aspirations for separate ethnic state.

But the biggest challenge the UWSA facing now is the “image problem” or its “narco-army image”. In reality and to be fair, every ethnic army, including the Burma Army, has at one time or the other involved in drugs trafficking, either directly or indirectly. And it is true even today.

A comment, this writer would like to recall written in SHAN's "Drugs Report" somewhere, is that something like: "Everyone is involved in drugs, the more guns one owns, the more drugs trafficking is the result."

The US accusation is just a temporary inconvenience, the UWSA could take consolation and look at the example of US lifting of sanctions on the Burma Army top brass and its cronies, on how political realities and interest has changed everything in no time; that is “from enemies to friends”.

And as such, like Si Thu Aung Myint suggested, the UWSA would be well advised to practice "realpolitik", where its statehood aspiration is concerned and strive for the doable reality and not that might be hard to achieve.

Link to the story: http://frontiermyanmar.net/en/the-uwsa-needs-to-change