United Wa State Party
The United Wa State Party (UWSP) is a political organisation in Myanmar (Burma), which campaigns for the interests of the Wa people. It is the ruling party of Wa State, a de facto independent state in northern Shan State.[4][5] Its armed wing is the United Wa State Army (UWSA), and the chairman and commander in chief is Bao Youxiang.[1]
United Wa State Party | |
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Burmese name | ဝပြည် သွေးစည်း ညီညွတ်ရေး ပါတီ |
Chinese name | 佤邦联合党 |
Leader | Bao Youxiang[1] |
Chairman | Bao Youyi[2] |
Secretary-General | Zhao Nyi-Lai[2] |
Founder | Zhao Nyi-Lai |
Founded | 1989 |
Split from | Communist Party of Burma |
Headquarters | Pangkham |
Armed wing | United Wa State Army |
Ideology | Wa nationalism[3] Maoism |
Political position | Far-left |
Party flag | |
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United Wa State Party | |||||||
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Simplified Chinese | 佤邦联合党 | ||||||
Traditional Chinese | 佤邦聯合黨 | ||||||
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The UWSP was founded in 1989 by members of the Wa National Council (WNC), a group of Wa villagers, and former members of the Communist Party of Burma (CPB).[6] The party is reported to have good relations and a close connection with the Chinese Communist Party.
History
The first chairman of the UWSP was Zhao Nyi-Lai. He was a former military leader of the Sao Hin Saopha who joined the CPB in 1969. He was elected as a member of the CPB central committee in 1985.
In 1995, Zhao Nyi-Lai suffered a stroke and Bao Youxiang became the new chairman. Zhao Nyi-Lai remains as Secretary General of the party. In 2005, Bao Youxiang health deteriorated and Bao Youyi, the elder brother of Bao Youxiang, took over the day-to-day activities of the UWSP/UWSA.[2] Wei Hsueh-kang was appointed as Central Committee Member in 1996.[7] He is wanted for narcotic trafficking by the authorities in the United States.[8]
Gallery
- Bao Youxiang, UWSA chief
- UWSA female soldiers stand at attention during ceremonies
- UWSA soldiers stand at attention during ceremonies
See also
- Wa States (historical region)
References
- Marshall, Andrew; Davis, Anthony. "Soldiers of Fortune". time.com. TIME magazine. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
- "Jane's World Insurgency and Terrorism: United Wa State Army".
- Johnson, Tim (29 August 2009). China Urges Burma to Bridle Ethnic Militia Uprising at Border. The Washington Post.
- Davis, Anthony. "Wa army fielding new Chinese artillery, ATGMs". IHS Jane's Defence Weekly. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
- "Wa State: Shanzhai Version Of China Discovered in Myanmar". chinaSMACK. 31 January 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
- Chiangrai Times Archived 25 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine
- Mizzima
- The Wa State, Page 3 last paragraph