Junta Setting Up Khun Sa

Junta Setting Up Khun Sa's Militia Against Ceasefire Groups

Rangoon appears to be playing militia groups in northem Shan State not only against the active resistance but also the ceasefire groups up there, Mao Mao reports from the north.

"The Northeastern Command (with HQ in Lashio) had notified Brigade 1 of Col. Parngfah (Shan State Army North, a ceasefire group) to move out by the end of February from the areas around Tangyan (south of Lashio) for Bo Mon (former commander of Khun Sa, currently leader of Loimaw militia unit) to take over, " he said.

As a result, officers and men from the SSA North are no longer seen by the local people in the said areas anymore towards the end of the month.

Since the SSA-South (a non-ceasefire group) of Yawdserk extended its operations to the north in June last year, movements of the ceasefire groups, especially the SSA-North and the SSA-Central a.k.a. Shan State National Army of Gunyawd both of which had merger agreement with Yawdserk back in 1996, have been curtailed by the junta, said Mao Mao.

"As both Bo Mon and Ma Kuo-wen (another former MTA officer who is also the commander of Mongheng militia) pay their officers and men better, the ceasefire groups are also worried they might be able to persuade their own men also," he said.

When Maj. Ah Sarng , one of Yawdserk's commanders, surrendered to Bo Mon in January, he and his men were rewarded K.50,000 each by Bo Mon and K.20,000 each by the NE Command, he added.

The SSA-Central moved its troops up to the north in 1997 in accordance with the directive from Rangoon that was launching offensives against the SSA South and the local populace in the central Shan State. According to human rights reports, at least 300,000 people in the central were forcibly relocated during the 2-year long campaign from 1996 to 1998. 

"People are now taking bets how much longer the SSA-North and the SSNA will continue to submit themselves to such humiliations," he concluded. 

6 men from the SSNA's 16th Brigade plus a civilian were killed on 21 December 1997. In 3 other separate recently incidents, the SSA-North's 5 members were shot and killed by the junta troops igniting a quarrel between Shan and junta commanders.