Tai meeting in Yunnan

Tai meeting in Yunnan

On 7-12 April, the China-Dehong International Conference on Comparative Studies on the Dai/Tai Culture in Four River Valleys in Yunnan Province was held at the city of Luxi (Mongkhawn to Shans). It was organized by the Ethnology Association of Yunnan Province and the People's Government of Dehong Autonomous Prefecture. 

Although it was attended by 300 representatives from 6 nations: Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, Germany and Canada, the majority, two-thirds, were from the Shan State of Burma led by prominent scholars Sai Aung Htun, Dr Hsang Ai and Dr Mawk Kham and members of parliaments elected in 1990 Sao Moe Kyi of Mongpan and Hla Pe of Muse. (2-3 of them were identified as informers for the Military Intelligence #23 of Muse.) 

Some ceasefire leaders had also wanted to participate, but they were reportedly denied permission by the junta authorities as they had not received official invitation. 

The conference studied on the papers presented by the scholars on the cultures along the 4 river basins: Mekong (Langchang), Salween (Nujiang), Hsaikham (Jinshajiang) and the Red (Honghe). 

The conference ended with a decision to hold another one of its kind in Xishuangbanna (Sipsongpanna) in 2005. 

"All in all, we were satisfied with the hospitality and especially with the opportunity to meet Tais from other lands, including the Zhuang of Guangsi," commented a participant. "But as the lingua franca was Chinese, few of us except for those who could understand the translations in English, could follow."