Wa army hails Min Aung Hlaing presidency

The Irrawaddy

Myanmar’s most powerful ethnic armed group, the United Wa State Army (UWSA), has become the first to congratulate Min Aung Hlaing on his election as president.

In a bilingual Chinese-Burmese message, the UWSA praised his record as commander‑in‑chief, claiming he had delivered “remarkable successes” in national stability, public security and development. The Mongla‑based National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA), another ethnic force on the Chinese border, quickly followed with its own note of support.

The UWSA also issued a separate statement in Chinese, expressing confidence that the armed forces under new commander General Ye Win Oo would continue to safeguard Myanmar’s long‑term stability and prosperity.

Analysts say the swift congratulations reflect a pragmatic effort by Wa and Mongla leaders to maintain smooth ties with the military regime and protect their autonomous enclaves.

Both groups, along with the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), broke away from the Communist Party of Burma in 1989 and later signed ceasefire deals with the military. Their territories were designated as Special Regions, granting them broad autonomy and strong reliance on cross‑border trade with China.

Although the UWSA and NDAA declared neutrality during the Brotherhood Alliance’s Operation 1027 in 2023, they were widely believed to have played indirect roles in the junta’s setbacks. Last year, Beijing pressured the UWSA to halt supplies to the alliance, reportedly detaining a deputy commander and freezing assets in China.

Despite the regime’s declaration of martial law in parts of Wa and Mongla territory, both groups retain full control. Under the 2008 Constitution, six townships form the Wa Self‑Administered Division, effectively governed as Wa State. The UWSA has demanded official recognition of statehood, an idea the regime has agreed to in principle.

The Wa leadership’s endorsement underscores the complex balance of power along Myanmar’s northern frontier, where ethnic armies, the military regime and China all exert influence over the country’s fragile stability.

-2026-04-07