= 410 ? '410px' : 'auto');}]]>
PANGHSAN, Wa Special Region — Situated at the far eastern reaches of Burma's Shan State, Panghsan is the capital of an autonomous enclave officially known as the Wa Special Region.
The town, bordering China's Yunnan province, is controlled by the United Wa State Army (UWSA), Burma's largest ethnic armed group, boasting a fighting force estimated at 20,000 men. The UWSA is the military arm of the United Wa State Party (UWSP), which formed after the collapse of the Communist Party of Burma (CPB) in 1989.
The area is largely populated by Wa people, one of 135 officially recognized ethnic groups in Burma, who have strong links to the neighboring ethnic Han Chinese in Yunnan. Visitors to the town are immediately struck by the pervasive Chinese influence, from road signs in the Chinese script to the dominance of spoken Mandarin on the streets and Chinese cuisine on restaurant menus.
Though the UWSA has tightly restricted access to the region over the years, the group invited a handful of journalists to cover a summit of Burma's ethnic armed groups from May 1-6 in Panghsang.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, The Irrawaddy photographer JPaing brings you a rare glimpse of everyday life in the little-known town.
Related Posts:
-
Ethnic Peace Conference to Begin in Wa Territory -
Burma Army Issues Media Gag Order on Kokang Rebel Statements -
UWSA Wants Autonomous State, Not Independence -
Wa Army Pledges to Continue Push for Independence -
Wa Leaders Ask President for Autonomous State
http://www.information.myanmaronlinecentre.com/a-portrait-of-panghsang/
No comments:
Post a Comment