Shan Leaders

Shan Leaders "Invited" To Government Guesthouse On Election Anniversary

Leaders of the biggest party in Shan State were detained throughout 27 May, the 10th anniversary of the historic elections in 1990, said an informed source coming across the border. (6 June) 

Khun Htoon Oo, President of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy, Sai Nood a.k.a. Sai Nyunt Lwin, General Secretary and Shwe Ohn, ex-Shan People's Freedom League leader and author of the popular political essay, "Towards the Third Union of Burma", were "invited" to one of the government guesthouses in Rangoon, early in the morning of 27 May, the day that marks the elections of 1990, as they were preparing to participate in the celebrations held at the compound of Aung San Suu Kyi, the National League for Democracy's leader and Nobel prize-winner. 

The three were treated to lunch and dinner and a series of diatribes against Aung San Suu Kyi and her NLD all day long, said the source. They were driven back home in the evening. 

The NLD won nation-wide during the elections while the SNLD won state-wide. 

[Reported by Saeng Khao Haeng] 

Follow up

It was reported later that Khun Htoon Oo, apparently disturbed by the tension created by the demands of the monkhood to the SPDC to begin talks between NLD-SPDC, had gone over to Aung San Suu Kyi and asked what her conditions were in order to bring forth a dialogue. 

The lady was reported to have replied, "None as long as it's going to be a dialogue".The Shan leader later met a high officer from the military intelligence to urge the SPDC to open talks, after informing them that she was willing to meet them un-conditionally.

The officer was said to have ended the Shan's unsolicited mediation summarily by reminding him that it was none of his business. "Just stay away, it's our job, he said," the source told S.H.A.N..

"This incident might bear relevance to what happened on 27 May," he concluded.