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Ethnic rebels in eastern Myanmar’s Shan state on Tuesday dismissed calls by the Royal Thai Army to withdraw from nine military camps along a disputed portion of the border with Thailand, suggesting Bangkok take the issue up with the ruling junta.
The United Wa State Army, which controls an autonomous region of Shan state, has designated the townships of Tachileik, Mongsat, Mongton, Hway Aw and Pong Par Kyin -- near Thailand’s Mae Hong Son province -- as part of its “171 Military Region.”
Leaders of the Wa army, or UWSA, met with officers from the Thai Royal Army in Chiang Mai, Thailand from Nov. 18-19 to discuss tensions along the border, after which Thai authorities demanded that the rebels withdraw from the nine military outposts by Dec. 19, according to Thai media reports.
On Tuesday, the UWSA responded to the demand, saying troops withdrawals must be decided as part of official bilateral talks.
“This is a matter of negotiation for the two governments,” said UWSA liaison officer Nyi Rang, referring the issue to Myanmar’s ruling junta, which seized power in a February 2021 military coup d’etat.
UWSA officials said tensions between its forces and the Thai military are highest along the border with Shan’s Mongton and Mong Hsat townships.
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Beginning Monday, the Royal Thai Army has been reinforcing its troops in the area, further stoking the border spat, a resident named Aung Kyaw told RFA Burmese.
“At present, no clashes have occurred, but troops on both sides remain in a standoff,” he said. “It is hoped that conflict can be avoided to prevent any loss of life or property. The situation should be resolved peacefully.”
Aung Kyaw said that residents of the area are concerned by military preparations on both sides of the border.
Long-running dispute
The areas under dispute between Myanmar and Thailand were previously under the control of Myanmar’s ethnic Mong Tai Army. However, amid conflict between Myanmar’s army and the Mong Tai army, the former deployed allied Wa forces to the areas, according to observers of ethnic issues in Myanmar.
Following a 1989 peace agreement between Myanmar’s military and the UWSA, more than 80,000 ethnic Wa people migrated to eastern Shan state, and the Wa forces established strong military bases along the Thai border, observers say.
Than Soe Naing, a commentator on military and political affairs, told RFA that the UWSA will not leave these stronghold areas, with a population that now numbers more than 100,000 within its 171 Military Region.
“The UWSA has established positions in this area with the approval of former Major General Khin Nyunt of the Myanmar military to block the Mong Tai Army from importing supplies from Thailand,” he said. “The UWSA is unlikely to relinquish these disputed areas quietly, despite Thailand’s demands for their withdrawal. If Thailand carries out military action, clashes between the two neighboring countries are inevitable.”
Several Myanmar and Thailand governments have attempted to resolve the long-running dispute along the two countries' shared border, with little success.
Thailand made similar demands to the UWSA during a township-level meeting in Tachilek in June 2023, which the Wa army also dismissed. But the stakes are higher this time around, with Bangkok issuing a deadline and the Royal Thai Army deploying reinforcements to the border.
Attempts by RFA to contact the Thai Embassy in Yangon via email received no response by the time of publishing.
Thailand downplays tensions
Despite the rising tensions, Col. Rungkhun Mahapanyawong, the Royal Thai Army’s 3rd Army Region spokesman, described the situation at the border as “normal.”
“The situation along the borders of [Thailand‘s] Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son remains normal - people are living their lives as usual and the [parties] along the border have good relations with one another,” he said at a press conference at the Royal Thai Army’s 3rd Army headquarters in Phitsanulok province.
“The reported areas are not yet demarcated,” he said. “Government-to-government negotiations are ongoing.”
However, he warned that Thailand will protect its national sovereignty if necessary.
“The 3rd Army Region is ready to do its best to defend the nation’s sovereignty and protect the Thai people,” he said.
Attempts by RFA to contact junta spokesperson Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun for a response to UWSA reports of territorial disputes went unanswered Tuesday.
Junta unlikely to engage
A former military officer turned political commentator told RFA that the junta has little interest in the disputes between the UWSA and the Thai government.
“This border dispute is not even equal to one hundredth of the importance of friendly relations between the two countries,” said the former military officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns. “The [junta] ... is preoccupied with internal affairs, so they aren’t interested in this dispute and won’t address it.”
Tensions with Thailand come as the UWSA faces pressure from Beijing to end hostilities with the junta amid conflict at the border China shares with northern Shan state.
Other Myanmar political commentators told RFA they believe that in renewing its demands on the longstanding territorial disputes, the Thai government is taking advantage of a time when both the Myanmar military and the UWSA are dealing with internal conflict.
Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.