Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07RANGOON122
2007-02-05 08:53:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rangoon
Cable title:
BURMA: MORE INSURGENT GROUPS EMERGE
how-toVZCZCXRO7595 OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH DE RUEHGO #0122/01 0360853 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 050853Z FEB 07 FM AMEMBASSY RANGOON TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5676 INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0148 RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 4461 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 3724 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 7246 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 4820 RUEHCI/AMCONSUL CALCUTTA 1041 RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 1040 RUDKIA/AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI 0830 RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 3032 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0683
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 000122
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/MLS; PACOM FOR FPA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/04/2017
TAGS: PGOV PINS PREL BM
SUBJECT: BURMA: MORE INSURGENT GROUPS EMERGE
REF: 06 RANGOON 820
RANGOON 00000122 001.2 OF 002
Classified By: Poloff Dean Tidwell for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 000122
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/MLS; PACOM FOR FPA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/04/2017
TAGS: PGOV PINS PREL BM
SUBJECT: BURMA: MORE INSURGENT GROUPS EMERGE
REF: 06 RANGOON 820
RANGOON 00000122 001.2 OF 002
Classified By: Poloff Dean Tidwell for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) SUMMARY: Post recently received information about two
small insurgent groups, each with about 200 armed soldiers,
that continue to resist the SPDC. The Hanthawady Restoration
Army in Mon State engages in armed conflict against the
Burmese Army, while the Chin ethnic Zomi Revolutionary Army,
based in Manipur State, India, claims to be ready to defend
Chin State from Burmanization. END SUMMARY.
HANTHAWADY RESTORATION ARMY
2. (C) Naing Ngwe Thein, Vice Chairman of the Mon National
Democratic Front recently told Poloff about an armed Mon
group that continues to resist the SPDC. In December 2006,
he reported that the Hanthawady Restoration Army (HRA)
engaged the Burmese Army in three separate skirmishes. In
retaliation for alleged local support to the HRA, he claimed
that the Burmese Army recently burned down Duya village,
located on a peninsula west of Ye town.
3. (C) The HRA split with the New Mon State Party (NMSP) in
1996 when the NMSP reached a cease-fire agreement with the
SPDC. (Note: Hanthawady was the name of the ancient Mon
capital. End Note.) The HRA has about 200 soldiers and,
unlike most Burmese insurgent groups that operate along
Burma's borders, is based near the coast in Ye Township.
ZOMI REVOLUTIONARY ARMY
4. (C) Chin ethnic leader Pu Chin Sian Thang, President of
the Zomi National Congress (ZNC) and member of the Committee
Representing the People's Parliament, briefed Poloff about
the Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA). He stressed that although
the ZRA leader previously had ties with the ZNC, he broke
with the ZNC and later formed an armed group. The ZNC has no
armed wing.
5. (C) The leader of the ZRA, Thang Lian Pau, elected an MP
in the 1990 elections, was the former General-Secretary of
the ZNC. Following the annulled elections, according to our
source, Thang Lian Pau revealed information to the SPDC about
ZNC internal affairs, so was expelled from the party. He
moved to India, where he founded the Zomi Revolutionary
Organization, also called the Zomi Reunification
Organization, in 1993. Three years later, he established its
armed wing, the ZRA, with 200 soldiers believed to be mostly
Paite ethnics from India. The ZRA is based in Churachandpur
District, Manipur State, where our sources claimed it
supported itself through extortion and occasional kidnapping.
The ZRO/ZRA primarily champions Paite interests, but aspires
to unite ethnically related Chin, Hmar, Kuki, Mizo, Paite,
and Zomi communities who live in India, Burma, and Bangladesh
in a separate Indian state to be named Zogum. The ZRA signed
a six-month cease-fire agreement with the Indian Army in 2005
that expired on January 31, 2007. The ZRA has no cease-fire
agreement with the SPDC.
THE CHIN NATIONAL ARMY DEFUNCT
6. (C) According to our source, after the Chin National Army
was established in 1964 (reftel),it steadily lost members
until only five soldiers remained. These five recently
joined the ZRA, bringing its membership up to 205. Villagers
from Falam, Hakha, and Tiddim in Chin State reportedly
invited the ZRA to come and defend them against Burmese Army
demands for their forced labor. The ZNA responded that it
would save its weapons to defend Chin State once the SPDC
starts to "Burmanize" it.
7. (C) COMMENT: We doubt either group poses much of a
RANGOON 00000122 002.2 OF 002
security threat to the Burmese Army. It does reveal the
fractional nature of Burma's many insurgencies, which have
never grasped the concept that unity would make them more
effective against the Burmese Army. END COMMENT.
8. (U) This cable was coordinated with Consulate Kolkata.
VILLAROSA
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/MLS; PACOM FOR FPA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/04/2017
TAGS: PGOV PINS PREL BM
SUBJECT: BURMA: MORE INSURGENT GROUPS EMERGE
REF: 06 RANGOON 820
RANGOON 00000122 001.2 OF 002
Classified By: Poloff Dean Tidwell for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) SUMMARY: Post recently received information about two
small insurgent groups, each with about 200 armed soldiers,
that continue to resist the SPDC. The Hanthawady Restoration
Army in Mon State engages in armed conflict against the
Burmese Army, while the Chin ethnic Zomi Revolutionary Army,
based in Manipur State, India, claims to be ready to defend
Chin State from Burmanization. END SUMMARY.
HANTHAWADY RESTORATION ARMY
2. (C) Naing Ngwe Thein, Vice Chairman of the Mon National
Democratic Front recently told Poloff about an armed Mon
group that continues to resist the SPDC. In December 2006,
he reported that the Hanthawady Restoration Army (HRA)
engaged the Burmese Army in three separate skirmishes. In
retaliation for alleged local support to the HRA, he claimed
that the Burmese Army recently burned down Duya village,
located on a peninsula west of Ye town.
3. (C) The HRA split with the New Mon State Party (NMSP) in
1996 when the NMSP reached a cease-fire agreement with the
SPDC. (Note: Hanthawady was the name of the ancient Mon
capital. End Note.) The HRA has about 200 soldiers and,
unlike most Burmese insurgent groups that operate along
Burma's borders, is based near the coast in Ye Township.
ZOMI REVOLUTIONARY ARMY
4. (C) Chin ethnic leader Pu Chin Sian Thang, President of
the Zomi National Congress (ZNC) and member of the Committee
Representing the People's Parliament, briefed Poloff about
the Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA). He stressed that although
the ZRA leader previously had ties with the ZNC, he broke
with the ZNC and later formed an armed group. The ZNC has no
armed wing.
5. (C) The leader of the ZRA, Thang Lian Pau, elected an MP
in the 1990 elections, was the former General-Secretary of
the ZNC. Following the annulled elections, according to our
source, Thang Lian Pau revealed information to the SPDC about
ZNC internal affairs, so was expelled from the party. He
moved to India, where he founded the Zomi Revolutionary
Organization, also called the Zomi Reunification
Organization, in 1993. Three years later, he established its
armed wing, the ZRA, with 200 soldiers believed to be mostly
Paite ethnics from India. The ZRA is based in Churachandpur
District, Manipur State, where our sources claimed it
supported itself through extortion and occasional kidnapping.
The ZRO/ZRA primarily champions Paite interests, but aspires
to unite ethnically related Chin, Hmar, Kuki, Mizo, Paite,
and Zomi communities who live in India, Burma, and Bangladesh
in a separate Indian state to be named Zogum. The ZRA signed
a six-month cease-fire agreement with the Indian Army in 2005
that expired on January 31, 2007. The ZRA has no cease-fire
agreement with the SPDC.
THE CHIN NATIONAL ARMY DEFUNCT
6. (C) According to our source, after the Chin National Army
was established in 1964 (reftel),it steadily lost members
until only five soldiers remained. These five recently
joined the ZRA, bringing its membership up to 205. Villagers
from Falam, Hakha, and Tiddim in Chin State reportedly
invited the ZRA to come and defend them against Burmese Army
demands for their forced labor. The ZNA responded that it
would save its weapons to defend Chin State once the SPDC
starts to "Burmanize" it.
7. (C) COMMENT: We doubt either group poses much of a
RANGOON 00000122 002.2 OF 002
security threat to the Burmese Army. It does reveal the
fractional nature of Burma's many insurgencies, which have
never grasped the concept that unity would make them more
effective against the Burmese Army. END COMMENT.
8. (U) This cable was coordinated with Consulate Kolkata.
VILLAROSA