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*** Note: For Burmese
Story read in www.bnionline.net
REACTION TO SHAN
S.H.A.N, April 19
Shans both at home and abroad have responded differently
to the unexpected
declaration of
latecomers.
Many ordinary people
expressed delight. "At last they are really saying
what we want," exclaimed a Shan migrant in
organizing a rally in support of the declaration.
Inside
broadcast by foreign-based radio stations. "Now the
politicians held in
reserve all these years have come out of their
warehouse," said an excited
officer of a Shan ceasefire group interviewed by phone.
Seasoned politicians, on the
other hand, are wary. "The last time
political officer who now lives in retirement in southern
he was destroyed when
"We stand by the
resolutions of the Ethnic Nationalities Council (ENC),"
said Sao Sengsuk, chairman of
the exiled Shan Democratic Union. The ENC,
which claims to represent the majority of non-Burman
nationalities, said
in a statement March 5 that it was committed to finding
a political
solution to the crisis in
for by the United Nations General Assembly since 1994.
,
It also agreed with five of
1. Non-disintegration of the union.
2. Non-disintegration of the national unity.
3. Stability of national sovereignty.
4. Development of a genuine multi-party democracy.
5, Promotion of social truths such as justice,
freedom and
equality.
As for the military rulers'
sixth demand for a leading role in
future politics, it allowed that the military should have a
role "in the
transition period."
Sao Sengsuk
blamed the latest development in Shan politics as the result
of
politicians, 10 of whom were jailed in February. At the same
time, he saw
the latest move by the radical Shans
as 'ill-advised'.
Other Shans
also expressed concern for the detained Shan leaders. "They
may have to bear the brunt for all this
hullabaloo," an elected Shan
Member of Parliament for
northern
make them pay."
++++
Mungpi
Mizzima News (www.mizzima.com)
and people to support the international sanction on
dictatorship for alleged atrocities against the country's people.
The call was given after a
meeting between a visiting delegation of
Burmese democracy
campaigners and the Council of Trade Unions in
Council of Trade Unions
president Ross Wilson called on the
government to stop dealing with the Burmese junta and join an
international campaign against the regime.
"
by the military dictatorship are often ignored
internationally," said Ross
The Burmese advocacy team,
which includes two MPs (members of parliament)
elected in the 1990 election, will directly appeal to the
government to stop exports to
on the Burmese Junta. The team is led by U Hla Oo, U Hla Oo, President of
Federation
of Trade Unions of Burma (FTUB) and an elected MP.
million dollars, constitutes the major share of the total
export, valued
at 5.9 Million dollars.
The Burmese team also urged
pressure against
(Asean)
next year unless changes favoring democracy take place in the
country.
from
alphabetical rotation.
Earlier this month, the
exiled Burmese democracy campaigners, while
visiting
Inter-Parliamentary Union
(IPU), sought a blockade on
chairmanship.
The
Burmese military junta, have
threatened to boycott Asean
meetings hosted
by
since 1962. In 1990, the junta held an election but
nullified the results
when the National League for Democracy (NLD), led by
later Nobel Peace
Prize Laureate Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi, had a landslide victory.
since 1990. She has spent most of her days since in
or house arrest.
++++
VILLAGERS KILLED BY MON SPLINTER GROUP
(Kaowao:
Eleven villagers were killed
by a Mon armed group on
southern Ye,
The massacre took place at Yaen Rae village of southern Ye
after local Mon
people celebrated a traditional Songrant
new year and Kyaik Memalort
mountain festival. The Mon armed group, Hongsawatoi
Restoration Party
looted properties belong to the victims such as cash, gold
chain,
necklaces and rings after the killing, local sources reported.
The brutal execution was led
by Captain Chan Dane of HRP and the
motivation was given as a failure of meeting with them.
But HRP Chairman, Nai Pan
Nyunt denied on the killing. “Nai Chan Dane is
not our HRP member. He already left HRP and he founded a
small armed group
with name of “Tein Hamarn” armed group. He wasn’t under the command of
HRP,’’ Nai Pan Nyunt added.
The villagers had refused to
meet with Chan Dane group in fearing of
arrest and torture by the Burma Army for making contact
with the
opposition armed group.
The source from Hamgam also reported the HRP group robbed some properties
from devotees and visitors on the way to the religious
festival where many
people flocked to the highest mountain during New Year
festival.
Charn Ong from Hamgam said the Buddhist monks and local communities are
unhappy with the Mon splinter armed group for killing
innocent civilian.
Captain Chan Dane is
known as a notorious guerrilla who also killed a
senior leader of New Mon State Party (NMSP) three years
ago.
++++
27 CIVILIANS ARRESTED AFTER ONE SOLDIER KILLED, ONE
IBJURED IN CLASH WITH
YOUTHS IN SITTWE
Special Reporter
Mizzima News (www.mizzima.com)
A fight between soldiers and
local youths in Sittwe, the
capital, left one soldier dead and another injured on April
16, the eve of
the Burmese water festival. The injured soldier was
reportedly admitted to
Sittwe hospital and 27 local
residents were arrested following the
incident.
The clash took place after
drunken Burmese soldiers reportedly molested
several local girls who went to the Thinbawseik
quarter of Sittwe at about
Thaung Goke.
Enraged at the incident,
local youths protested and a fight broke out.
During the clash, a soldier
was stabbed to death on the spot while another
received serious injuries.
Two local Arakan youths, who had joined in the fight, reportedly fled
to
+++
SHAN ELDERS DECLARE
A group of Shan elders, most
of them highly respected but politically
unknown, yesterday stirred shock waves throughout the exiled
Shan
community by declaring
Attired in Shan traditional
costume, His Royal Highness Prince Surkhanpha,
67, known affectionately as
"Sao Hso" (Tiger) to his friends, and older
brother of the late Dr. Chao Tzang Yawnghwe (1939 - 2004) and Harn
Yawnghwe, director of the
Brussels-based Euro Burma Office, solemnly
declared and "affirmed" the
former name of
the Shan States."
The oldest son of
Yawnghwe, and self-styled
head of state, he was backed by his foreign
minister, Khun Hom
a.k.a. Sai Soe Nyunt, 70, another scion of Shan
royalty, from Haipa, Mongsu township. Sai Soe Nyunt is
based in
Sao Hso in
Both claim they were elected
at a meeting March 25 of 48 delegates
representing 48 townships in
A five-member "war
cabinet' was also appointed, including defense minister
Sao Khurh
Surh, 82, and two others, a prime minister and a home affairs
minister, both reportedly in
Both also claim support from
Shan organizations in
Shan State Army
"South" leader Col Yawdserk, who has been
fending off
joint Burmese-Wa attacking forces since March 13, denied
he had anything
to do with this latest development. "I certainly
have no time for it," he
replied.
The Shan Nationalities
League for Democracy in
have been in jail since February, also expressed concern.
"We are shocked
and worried," a female member said.
NGO workers, meanwhile, said
Loi Taileng was shelled
yesterday and some
hit the village of 1,819 internally displaced persons
nearby. But no
damage has yet been reported.
Thai security officers have
warned against using the kingdom for the
purpose of declaring independence from its troublesome
neighbor. "We can't
have any funny business with
***End***
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Independent Mon News Agency,
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.........................
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