"UWSA resumes mining operations near Myanmar-China border" 21 February, 2025

The United Wa State Army (UWSA), a powerful ethnic armed group based along Myanmar’s borders with China and Thailand, is preparing to reopen a key mine in its territory, according to reports.

The mine, in the Wa Self-Administered Region’s Man Shiang District, was closed in August 2023 as part of an effort to limit the extraction of non-renewable mineral resources in the region.

During a five-day annual meeting held last week at the UWSA’s Pangkham (Panghsang) headquarters, the group approved nine action plans for 2025, including the reopening of the mine, local media outlet Wa News Land reported, citing a UWSA statement...

The UWSA-controlled Wa Self-Administered Region has numerous tin-mining operations and is a key source of raw materials for neighbouring China, the world’s largest producer of refined tin...The UWSA’s decision to suspend tin mining on August 1, 2023, caused ripples in the Chinese and global tin markets...

On Thursday, the regime announced that it would combat resource extraction in resistance-held areas, which has become a major source of revenue for groups opposed to the junta.