So now, according to the Global New Light of Myanmar article, Outcome of Pang Seng conference and the true identity of UWSA, 18 May 2015, leaders of the United Wa State Army (UWSA), whom the government, either past or present, had known as “friends” and “national race leaders,” are all of a sudden becoming “drug kingpins”.

The article has leveled 6 charges against them:

• Involvement in drugs
• Ignoring government “information” not to invite groups fighting against the Tatmadaw (Burmese military) i.e. Arakan Army (AA), Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), and the Ta-ang National Liberation Army (TNLA)
• On “the path towards secession from the Union”
• Administrative positions being taken over by ethnic Chinese and official language being Chinese
• Running weapons manufacturing factories
• Challenging and “total defiance of” the central government

The charges are highly reminiscent of successive Burmese government’s policy toward other ethnic armed groups in Shan State:

• Khun Sa (1934-2007), when he was fighting against other groups fighting against the government, was given a free hand in drug production and trade. But when he started calling for Shan independence, he became a druglord
• It was the same with Peng Jiasheng, leader of the MNDAA. He was “a good guy” and “leader of the Kokang national race” until he refused to transform his army into a government-controlled Border Guard Force (BGF). Then he became a drug producer and illegal weapons manufacturer

The government (or the Tatmadaw’s) recipe for peace, as it appears, is nothing but to toe its line if one wants to have peace. The trouble starts when one starts to ask questions.

It seems the world, not only Burma, is in conflict because every peacemaker believes the only way to have peace is by listening to him/her and nobody else as a political cartoon has suggested. Because in reality, even a family cannot be at peace if the husband only does what the wife wants or vice versa.

All Burmese who goes to school are taught kings should treat their people as “bosom children” (yin-we-tha). But we seem to have left this teaching at school and never practice it in our everyday life. Instead our “kings”, past and present, appear to be treating their people as “enemies”.

Conclusion: Yes, we all have to change our mindsets, but it must start from the top, not bottom.