UWSA to stop supporting allied ethnic armed groups

By Admin 21 Aug 2025

DMG Newsroom

21 August 2025, Sittwe

The United Wa State Army (UWSA), the most powerful ethnic armed group in Myanmar, has said it will no longer provide weapons or financial assistance to any armed group.

The Ta'ang National Liberation Army, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, Shan State Progressive Party and UWSA officially announced military decisions at a meeting in Panghsang, the capital of Wa State, the UWSA's mouthpiece WSTV reported on August 20.

UWSA Vice Chair Zhao Guoan said the UWSA will no longer provide weapons or equipment to any ethnic armed group. It will not provide military facilitation or financial assistance for any reason, anywhere, or at any time.

The meeting was attended by senior representatives from the TNLA, MNDAA, SSPP and UWSA, and the UWSA informed the delegations of official military decisions.

"Looking at the UWSA's announcement that it will stop providing weapons and financial assistance to the TNLA, MNDAA and SSPP, it seems like there is some pressure," said a local man from northern Shan State who is monitoring the military situation. "Since the UWSA is a group close to China, we can assume that China is putting pressure on it. We can see that the military regime is fighting back against the lost areas."

The junta-appointed Shan State Chief Minister U Aung Aung and his entourage visited the Wa region and Mongla on August 6 and 7 and met with top UWSA leaders.

It was the first visit to the Wa Region by a junta-appointed Shan State chief minister since "Operation 1027" was launched in late 2023.

"The military regime may have the perception that the UWSA is supplying and selling weapons to all the revolutionary forces across the country. Therefore, it is possible that they are pressuring us, or it is possible that the UWSA is making a false statement. In fact, the MNDAA, TNLA and SSPP that we just met are members of the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee. We need to consider whether the UWSA can easily cut off its allies," said another young Arakanese political analyst.

The FPNCC includes the UWSA, MNDAA, MNDAA, SSPP, Kachin Independence Army (KIA), TNLA, and Arakan Army (AA).

The UWSA is also the leader of the FPNCC, which has not signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) and has set a policy of negotiating through other political means than the NCA.

The military regime has been conducting counter-offensives against areas controlled by resistance forces, capturing four cities and key military routes in July and August.

"In any case, it is a strategy by the military regime to weaken the military strength of the revolutionary forces. It is also possible that the military regime will use force to coerce the UWSA and the revolutionary forces in time for the election," another political observer said.

The regime is making public efforts to hold the election, including announcing constituencies, registering parliamentary candidates, and laying out plans for election security.