Following a four-day meeting between top leaders of the United Wa State Army (UWSA) and the National Democratic Alliance Army-Eastern Shan State (NDAA-ESS) last week, the two sides agreed “to jointly protect the people and territory,” according to sources coming to the Thai-Burma border.

“Provoking either of them from now on would be akin to poking a beehive with a stick,” an NDAA officer was quoted as saying.

The meeting took place in Panghsang, the Wa capital opposite Menglien, Yunnan province from November 18 to 21. The NDAA, based further south in Mongla, opposite Daluo, was represented by

• Khun Hsang Lu                -    Vice President
• Lin Daode aka Sai Long aka U Htein Lin        -    Vice President and Commander in Chief of NDAA (son of President Sai Leun)
• Luo Shanbao                -    Chief of Staff

The Wa leaders at the meeting were unidentified.

The two sides also agreed to change their nomenclature to Border Guard Forces (BGFs) as demanded by Naypyitaw since April, but refused to go further. “Which means they will not accept junta officers at battalion level, agree to training and reorganization outside their territories or admit junta state officials to run their domains,” a source explained.

According to Naypyitaw, ceasefire days are over since the junta-drawn charter, dubbed derisively by the opposition as the Nargis constitution, was ratified in May 2008.

The results of the bilateral meeting were reported and approved at a two day ad hoc meeting (November 23 to 24) in Mongla, where representatives from its three brigades (896th, 911th and 369th) participated.

“Now our decisions are irreversible,” an officer returning from the meeting was reported as saying.

The source from Panghsang, asked by SHAN, agreed with the report but declined to give further details.

However, despite the outward defiance, both the Wa and Mongla are reportedly reluctant to assume an aggressive stance. “We have switched the sound of gun fire (siang gawng) into the sound of drums (siang gawng),” 64 year old Sai Leun was quoted as saying. “It would be a terrible pity to return to the sound of gunfire.”

The Mongla group occupies the triangle area between Burma, China and Laos, one that is coveted both by the Wa and the Burmese Army.

According to a report recently published by Marie Lall, Associate Fellow at Chatham House, pressure from the ruling junta could “bring renewed instability to Burma,” reported the Democratic Voice of Burma yesterday.