United Wa State Party (UWSP) demanded the union government to grant autonomy to Wa State and vows to achieve their goal, said its secretary general Bao Youxiang during a ceremony to mark 30th anniversary of peace celebration held at its headquarters Panghsang on April 17.

He said, “Until our political demands are realized, we will hold high the banner of peace and democracy on one hand, and armed self-defense on the other, and maintain the status quo.”

He added that the UWSA accepted the Wa self-administered zone is included in Myanmar territory  after Myanmar and Chin had border line agreement in 1960.

The Wa self-administered zone is a part of the Union of Myanmar and Wa had pledged not to secede from the union and gain independence. The Wa ethnics only request fairness and self-governance, he said.

He continued saying that the Wa ethnics led by the UWSP brought one achievement after another in Wa self-administered zone as they have tried hard for 30 years after signing ceasefire agreement with the union government. The Wa region had developed fast within 30 years time.

The most difficult and proudest achievement of the Wa ethnics is to transform the Wa region into an area where poppy planting had ceased and is freed of narcotics. They will try to eliminate poppy cultivations in the future and achieve their goal, he said.

He also urged the union government and international communities to give more support and to help them to set policies which will be more effective.

The Wa region will be indubitably developed whatever hardship they faced in the party or in the area due to the entrenchment leadership of the UWSP, he said.