UWSA to change leadership

16 January 2017
UWSA to change leadership
Soldiers from the United Wa State Army patrol the near deserted streets of Nandeng in the Wa region of Myanmar. Photo: AFP

The United Wa State Army (UWSA) is set for its biggest leadership change in a quarter century, senior sources told Reuters.
The UWSA has over 25,000 soldiers who control a China-dominated region the size of Belgium in the remote hills on Myanmar’s eastern border.
This year the group’s political wing, the United Wa State Party (UWSP), is holding elections for the first time since 1992, with at least some of the old guard who have led the group since its 1989 formation set to stand down, according to the report.
The party has about 15,000 members and closely resembles China's Communist Party leadership structure.