Border Guard Forces
Border Guard Forces (Burmese: နယ်ခြားစောင့်တပ်; abbreviated BGF) are subdivisions of the Tatmadaw (Myanmar Armed Forces) consisting of former insurgent groups in Myanmar under the instruction of Regional Military Commands. The government announced its plan to create Border Guard Forces in April 2009, in the hopes of ending hostilities between the government and insurgent groups leading up to the 2010 general election.[1]
| Border Guard Forces | |
|---|---|
| Founded | April 2009 |
| Country |  Myanmar |
| Branch |  Myanmar Army |
| Role | Collective security, border security |
| Part of | Tatmadaw |
| Nickname(s) | BGF |
| Commanders | |
| Minister of Defence | General Mya Tun Oo |
| Commander-in-Chief of Myanmar Armed Forces | Sr. General Min Aung Hlaing |
| Regional commanders | Several generals |
History
In 2008 the new constitution made it mandatory for insurgent groups to transition into a BGF before the government would agree to engage in peace talks.[2] Following the government announcement on BGFs, the government set a deadline for all insurgent groups to transition into BGFs, and that all ceasefire agreements prior to the deadline would become "null and void". The deadline was originally set to be June 2009, but was delayed five times until September 2010.[1][3]
In April 2009, Lieutenant General Ye Myint led a government entourage to meet with Kokang, Shan and Wa insurgent groups, to discuss plans to create "collective security" formed by insurgent groups and under the command of the Tatmadaw, which would eventually lead to the creation of the Border Guard Forces.[4] In 2009, four of the insurgent groups, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, the Kachin Defence Army (4th Brigade of the KIA), the New Democratic Army - Kachin (NDA-K) and the Pa-O National Organisation/Army (PNO/A), accepted the transition plan's terms and transformed into BGF groups.[5]
On 20 August 2009, Tatmadaw soldiers and recently transitioned BGF groups gathered outside the town of Laukkai, Kokang, in preparation for an attempt to recapture the town from the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), after they refused to transform into a BGF.[6][7]
The government changed its aggressive stance towards BGFs and ceasefires on 18 August 2011, when then President of Myanmar Thein Sein pledged to "make the ethnic issue a national priority" by offering open dialogue between the government and all insurgent groups, without the BGF requirement.[1]
Structure
There are no official government guidelines regarding BGFs, but there are lines in the Burmese constitution that reference them. The following are de facto rules set by the Tatmadaw upon creation of the Border Guard Forces:[1][4]
- BGFs may only operate in the area they are assigned by the government
- All members of a BGF are to be paid the same salary as a regular soldier in the Tatmadaw
- Each BGF is to have exactly 326 personnel, 30 of whom are to be regular Tatmadaw soldiers
- Important administrative positions are to be held only by Tatmadaw soldiers
References
- "Border Guard Force Scheme". www.mmpeacemonitor.org. Myanmar Peace Monitor. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
- "Border guard plan could fuel ethnic conflict". IRIN. 29 November 2010. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
- McCartan, Brian (30 April 2010). "Myanmar ceasefires on a tripwire". Asia Times. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
- Wai Moe (31 August 2009). "Border Guard Force Plan Leads to End of Ceasefire". The Irrawaddy. Archived from the original on 2 March 2011. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
- "NDF Report on Ceasefire Groups Resisting SPDC's Pressure and Instability" (PDF). National Democratic Front (Burma). Mae Sot, Thailand. 7 March 2010. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
- "Tension sparks people to flee into China". Shan Herald. 24 August 2009. Archived from the original on 2 September 2009. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
- Dittmer, Lowell (30 September 2010). Burma Or Myanmar? the Struggle for National Identity. World Scientific. ISBN 9789814313643.