Wa National Organisation
The Wa National Organisation (Burmese: ဝအမျိုးသားအစည်းအရုံး; WNO) is a political organisation in Shan State, Myanmar. It has an armed wing, the Wa National Army (WNA), that operates in northern Shan State and near Myanmar's border with Thailand.[2]
Abbreviation | WNO |
---|---|
Formation | July 29, 1969 |
Type | Political organisation |
Purpose | Autonomy for the Wa people of Myanmar (Burma) |
Official languages | Wa Southwestern Mandarin Burmese |
General Secretary | Maj Ta Aik Nyunt[1] |
Vice Chairman | Ta Ma Ha (until 2016)[1] |
Former chairman | Mahasang[1] |
Affiliations | Wa National Army Wa National Council |
History
The WNO was founded along with the WNA on 29 July 1974, after the original group, the Ka Kwe Ye, joined forces with the Shan State Army (SSA) and Lo Hsing Han. The group was led by Mahasang, the son of the last sawbwa of Vingngun.[2]
In 1977, the WNO broke ties with the SSA and allied themselves with the 3rd Kuomintang battalion operating near the Myanmar-China border, led by General Li Wenhuan. In 1983, the WNO officially joined the National Democratic Force (NDF).[2]
The group signed a peace agreement with the SLORC government in August 1997.[2]
References
- Naing, Saw Yan (27 June 2016). "Wa National Organization Denies Involvement in Drug Trade". The Irrawaddy. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
- Lintner, Bertil (1999). Burma in Revolt: Opium and Insurgency since 1948. Silkworm Books. p. 17. ISBN 9781630411848.