Authorities in areas controlled by the United Wa State Army (UWSA) in Shan State have reportedly instructed schools to prioritize the teaching of Burmese and Wa languages under a new education directive.

The instruction was issued on March 3 during a year-end coordination meeting held in Hopang Township, which is under UWSA administration. According to a report by Wa News Land, the directive reflects the group’s official stance that it “will absolutely not secede from the State.”

During the meeting, UWSA officials outlined several policy priorities for local administrators, including a strict warning against abuse of administrative authority and the oppression of civilians.

Officials were also instructed to avoid involvement in criminal activities, particularly the drug trade and online scam operations.

Regarding education policy, the directive states that Burmese should be taught as the primary language in schools, while Wa literature will be taught as a secondary priority. Officials said the policy is intended to reinforce the UWSA’s position that it remains part of the Union of Myanmar.

The meeting also emphasized that decisions adopted during a five-day central year-end meeting in Pangsang, the UWSA’s administrative capital, must be effectively implemented at the grassroots level to ensure consistent policy enforcement across UWSA-administered areas.

The directive follows remarks by regime leader Min Aung Hlaing during a visit to eastern Shan State in May 2025. At a meeting with leaders of the National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA), also known as the Mong La group, he emphasized that because Myanmar is a union, citizens across the country should be proficient in the official national language and literature.

Despite these directives, residents in border regions controlled by the UWSA, NDAA (Mong La), and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA)—also known as the Kokang Army—say the influence of the Chinese language and currency remains dominant.

Locals say Chinese is widely used for daily communication and business, while many transactions are conducted using the Chinese yuan rather than the Myanmar kyat.