The United Wa State Army (UWSA) has launched a new recruitment drive in Tangyan Township, Shan State, bolstering its recently established Brigade 713 under the 171st Military Region, according to local sources.

Since early May, ward and village administrators across Tangyan have reportedly been instructed to supply recruits, with a deadline set for May 20. Those unable to meet the quota must report to the Hongpan plantation, where UWSA forces are stationed.

We don’t know how many recruits each village must provide, but the order has caused frustration, people see it as an unfair burden, a Tangyan resident told SHAN. The community opposes this, but there’s little they can do.

The recruitment falls under the UWSA’s 171st Military Region, headquartered in Mong Sat District, eastern Shan State. When contacted, U Nyi Rang, the UWSA’s external relations officer, stated he was looking into the matter but provided no further details.

The Hongpan plantation, located just two miles from Tangyan town, has become a key operational hub for the UWSA. The group expanded its presence in the area after crossing the Thanlyin River in July 2024, deploying roughly 2,000 troops and seizing territory once controlled by the Mang Pang militia, formerly led by General Moon.

A Shan State military analyst noted that the UWSA initially entered Tangyan with approval from Myanmar’s military council during the second phase of Operation 1027. Originally operating under the Southern Military Region (171), these forces were later reorganized into Brigade 713.

Since May 2025, the UWSA has reinforced its hold on villages along the Tangyan–Lashio and Tangyan–Panghsang highways, many previously under Manpang militia control. Checkpoints now encircle Tangyan, with Wa troops monitoring movement but not collecting tolls.

The Wa aren’t leaving, they’ve secured all major entry points and show no signs of withdrawing, another local reported.

This marks the second major conscription effort in the region. In September 2024, the UWSA reportedly compiled household data on Wa families in Tangyan and nearby villages for an earlier recruitment campaign.

Facing mounting pressure, locals have sought intervention from the Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA), submitting a letter urging action against forced recruitment and taxation.

In a related development, senior leaders from the SSPP/SSA and Kachin Independence Organization/Army (KIO/KIA) visited Panghsang, the UWSA’s headquarters and seat of the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC), in early May to discuss escalating tensions in northern Shan State.