At the first commanders meeting of the Federal Union Army (FUA) held in a liberated area on 28th and 29th November it was decided to form two military regions according to one of the commanders who wished to remain anonymous.
He said: The northern military region will have responsibility for the northern armed forces and will be led by Brigadier General Gam Shawng and the southern military region will be led by Major General Baw Kyaw Hae. We have not yet chosen an army chief so Brigadier General Bee Htoo will continue as the temporary chief.”
At the meeting the commanders discussed and criticised the ethnic negotiating team, the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) for not properly implementing instructions from the ethnic umbrella group the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) who they are supposed to represent at the ceasefire talks.
In particular they criticised the NCCT for not having carried out the UNFC’s instructions to ask for the ceasefire talks to be held in a third country other than Thailand and for independent international referees to be present at the ceasefire meetings, according to Col. Khun Okkar who is a member of the UNFC and attended the meeting as an advisor.
Eleven commanders from ethnic armed groups such as the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the Karenni National Progressive party (KNPP), the Palaung State Liberation Front (PSLF), the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), the New Mon State party (NMSP) the Arakan Army (AA), the Lahu Democratic Union, and the Chin National Front (CNF), one advisor (Khun Okkar), and three observers attended the meeting.
Commanders from the Wa National Organization (WNO), the Pa Oh National Organization (PNO) and Kokant could not attend the meeting.
The Kachin, Palaung, Shan north (SSPP), Wa, Mongla and Kokant armed groups are included in the northern military region whilst the KNU, KNPP and NMSP are included in the southern region.
The FUA was formed at the same time as the UNFC in February 2011 with General Mutu Say Poe taking the role of army chief. He was succeeded by Brigadier General Bee Htoo who is still in the post. Since their formation the FUA have had three formal and two informal meetings.
After the commanders’ meeting the FUA issued a statement on 30th November in which they called on the government to stop all military operations during the nationwide ceasefire talks so as to not hinder the talks and help create genuine peace and democracy in Burma.
Translated by Aung Myat Soe English version written by Mark Inkey for BNI
