It was a show of force marking 30 years since Communist Wa rebels signed a ceasefire with Myanmar leading to the establishment of a special, semi-autonomous zone, led by Bao Youxiang, chief of one of the world’s largest non-state armies.
Fed by a ready supply of conscripts – some barely in their teens – China-armed and trained, UWSA is similar to Lebanese Hezbollah in size. Also like Hezbollah, they are clients of a larger state actor who pulls strings for strategic ends. Once a Chinese enclave, the Wa became known by British colonisers as the “wild Wa” for their fearsome reputation for headhunting.
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