Ardeth Thawnghmung
Vivid, insightful, powerful, and comprehensive analysis of the most enigmatic yet politically significant group in Myanmar. Ong makes an important theoretical contribution to the study of nation/state building by using captivating individual stories to reflect on lived experiences of ordinary residents from varied occupations as well as on rebel governance, elite level politics, and broader geopolitical and border environments. Highly accessible and will appeal to ordinary readers and experts.
Magnus Fiskesjö
Stalemate is engaged anthropology at its finest. Offering a richly nuanced perspective on the UWSA, Asia's largest and most powerful ethnonationalist insurgent army, this book is a brilliant investigation of the politics of the Wa State in Myanmar.
Bertil Lintner
A comprehensive and authoritative account of groups, personalities and events in a little-known conflict-ridden part of Southeast Asia. This trailblazing book is the first to describe the complexity of the UWSA and its allies, and their relationships with the Myanmar military.
Jane M. Ferguson
Complex, rich and lucid, Stalemate is vital reading to understand the political cultures of the United Wa State Army. Andrew Ong brings ethnographic nuance to one of the most important geographically peripheral power holders in the decades-long struggles over sovereignty and autonomy in the Shan State/Yunnan borderlands. A stunning achievement.
