The United Wa State Party (UWSP) has launched its own administration in Hopang, one of two towns it took over in northern Shan State earlier this month.
The UWSP is the political wing of United Wa State Army (UWSA), Myanmar’s most powerful ethnic army. It runs the Wa State People’s Government in Wa Self-Administered Division.
UWSP vice chair Luo Yagu has taken the helm of a working group to “generate effective governance” in the towns, according to a UWSP announcement.
Hopang and Panlong towns were seized by the Brotherhood Alliance on Jan. 5 following the surrender of over 700 junta soldiers. The alliance – comprising the Arakan Army, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army – then handed over the two towns to its ally, the UWSA.
Although it retains a neutral stance and denies involvement in the alliance’s Operation 1027, the USWA is widely believed to have played a huge part in the anti-regime offensive in northern Shan State.
The two towns were officially handed over to the UWSP in Hopang on January 10.
The UWSP said the regime had finally agreed on January 4 to hand over the two towns after years of requests by the Wa State Government.
The transfer of the two towns expands Wa Self-Administered Division east of the Salween River on the border with China.
On Monday, Luo Yagu visited Hopang Town Hall for the first time to meet locals and department staff, according to locals at the meeting.
“He said there would only be their party [the UWSP, in charge],” said a local who attended the meeting.
“He told us not to buy and sell property for now. It appears that they will levy taxes later. As Luo Yagu is from Panghsang, [USWP’s] Mongmao district secretary will mainly handle the administration of the town. Though the administration has changed, things are normal.”
According to a UWSP statement issued on Thursday, Hopang will be governed by the Wa Interim Administration Committee via political, judicial, financial, external relations, agriculture, forestry and irrigation, construction, industrial, mining, health, banking, and electricity departments. The committee is currently registering households in the town.
Civil servants from the junta’s administration in Hopang will stay on in their posts under the pay scale for civil servants in Wa State, said the UWSP announcement.
“I heard that health and education staff will be given priority. I am not sure about staff from other departments. The pay scale is between 1,000 and 3,000 Yuan [US$ 140-420] according to rank. But there is no pension,” said a Hopang administrative staffer.
Officers from the Wa State Police Force have arrived in Hopang to run the law enforcement department. Schools, hospital, and shops have resumed operations as normal.
Hopang and Panglong were made part of the Wa Self-Administered Division under the military-drafted 2008 Constitution but were administered by the national government. The UWSP has now gained control over the two towns without having to fire a single shot.
A member of the UWSP since its formation in 1989, Luo Yagu rose through the ranks to become vice chair of the party in 2018 under the now ousted National League for Democracy government.
As armed revolt escalated in central Myanmar and Kachin, Karenni, Chin and Karen states following the 2021 coup, the USWP sent a delegation to Naypyitaw for three rounds of peace talks with junta boss Min Aung Hlaing in 2022, despite never having breached the ceasefire it signed with then military regime in 1989.
As leader of the delegation, Luo Yagu demanded official statehood – which was granted in principle by the regime.
