The Burmese military brass in Naypyitaw continues lobbying the ceasefire groups for the Border Guard Force (BGF) program despite the fact that the deadline expired last week and there is no sign of any response from most of the remaining ceasefire groups.

A commander of the military regime in southeastern Shan State has met a ceasefire group for the BGF programme but received a hollow response from the group.

On 30 April, Maj-Gen Kyaw Phyoe, commander of Golden Triangle Region Command held a meeting with National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA) known as Mongla group, at its headquarters, to convince the group once more to transform into the  Burmese Army run border guard force.

The commander also brought a music band and some Burmese singers with him and performed to the local residents in Mongla, opposite China’s Daluo province. “No one went to the concert, except Burmans”, said a local resident in Mongla, southeastern Shan State, who requested anonymity.

NDAA responded to Maj-Gen Kyaw Phyoe that it had nothing more to say about the guard force programme as they had already submitted its proposal to Naypyitaw several times which was rejected again and again, he said.

Naypyitaw seems to have ordered its commander to use different techniques to lobby the ceasefire groups as it has learnt that the ceasefire groups have become more united against the junta. It was also aware that ceasefire groups would not accept the ways it had used, such as force and threats, said a border watcher from the Sino-Burma border, who also requested not to be named.

In mid April, all ceasefire groups such as United Wa State Army (UWSA), Kachin Independence Army (KIA), Mongla and the Shan State Army (SSA) ‘North’ met and concluded an agreement to form Command, Control, and Communications Center for their joint defence against the junta’s programme.

But later, SSA ‘North’ appeared to have backed out of the agreement. Its 3rd and 7th brigades submitted lists of who had agreed to become members of the junta run border guard force. But the 1st, the strongest of its brigades remained loyal to the agreement.

The ceasefire groups have blamed the SSA ‘North’ for not honouring its agreement.

“Although we had signed an agreement with other ceasefire groups, no one wants war and the fight to take place in their home ground,” said a senior officer from the SSA ‘North’.

Many ceasefire groups said the SSA ‘North’ the3rd’ and the 7th brigades have fallen into the junta’s trap.

In the meantime, the Restoration Council of the Shan State (RCSS), the political wing of the non-ceasefire group SSA ‘South’, released a statement on 30 April. It said that the SSA North was misleading its followers and people.

“SSA-North action was like taking our own people and handing them over to the enemy,” said the statement. “All the things that you have been fighting for have gone down the drain.”

But the SSA ‘North’ defended its action by saying it is yet to be transformed into the junta run force even though they had submitted the lists of their men and weapons. The group has also claimed that they are still keeping their guns like before and are still wearing their own uniforms.

“There are many members that refused to give their names to the lists,” a member of the 3rd brigade said. “All second line leaders opposed the decision of their top leaders. Some members went to join brigade 1.”

Unconfirmed sources said that Naypyitaw has given the UWSA and NDAA another month’s extension for them to respond.

The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) was also reportedly given a deadline extension of 7 May. They were given a chance to transform as Union Defense Army (UDA), if they do not want to transform as the border guard force.

But the Kachin News Group (KNG) which monitors KIA affairs said it has not received any such information from the KIA yet.

In the meantime, the military junta continues preparing supplies and reinforcing more troops to ceasefire groups’ areas.

Most sources however believe that the movements are just for show to scare the ceasefire groups. The military junta, they say, is not ready to launch a major operation.