A high-level delegation from the United Wa State Army (UWSA) met with the Myanmar military junta’s peace negotiation body in the capital, Naypyitaw, to discuss joint efforts to combat drug trafficking and online telecom scams, as well as regional political autonomy.
The two-day talks, held on August 3 and 4 between senior UWSA leadership and the junta’s National Solidarity and Peacemaking Negotiation Committee (NSPNC), marked the second formal round of discussions between the two sides in recent months.
"The main focus was on building greater mutual trust, as well as discussions on healthcare, education, agriculture, livestock, and regional transportation links. We also paid particular attention to combating drug trafficking and telecom scam operations," U Nyi Rang, the UWSA’s official spokesperson and head of its Lashio Liaison Office, told the Shan Herald.
NSPNC Chairman Lieutenant General Yar Pyae and UWSA Deputy Chairman U Zhao Guoan led the meeting.
Following the official sessions, the UWSA delegation also met directly with junta chief Min Aung Hlaing on August 4.
During the talks, UWSA representatives pledged to crack down on cross-border criminal networks—including notorious telecom scam centers, locally known as Zhapian—operating within Wa-controlled territory along the Chinese border.
According to state-controlled media, the junta’s negotiation team also discussed pathways to address the political aspirations of the United Wa State Party (UWSP)—the political wing of the UWSA—within the framework of Myanmar's 2008 Constitution. The UWSA has long demanded full statehood status within Myanmar's administrative structure.
While the spokesperson declined to confirm whether official statehood designation was formally raised during this session, state media reported that the UWSA delegation expressed support for ongoing peace dialogues and reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining unity in the Union.
The meeting follows a June 18 visit by NSPNC officials to the UWSA headquarters in Pangsang (Panghkam), signaling ongoing diplomacy between the military regime and Myanmar's largest ethnic armed organization amid widespread conflict elsewhere in the country.
