Thai Leader Opens Shan Celebration

Thai Leader Opens Shan Celebration

A Thai political party leader presided over today's opening ceremony of Poy Sanglong, the traditional ceremony of the Shans in Chiangmai where their male children are honored as 'princes' before being ordained as novice monks.

Police Lt-col Dr Thaksin Chinawatra, leader of the Thai Rak Thai Party (Thai-Loves-Thai Party), said: "As a native of Sankamphaeng (a suburb of Chiangmai), where Shans form a part of the community, I am familiar with Shan language and customs.

"Shan is a Burmese corruption of Syam a.k.a. Siam, Thailand's former name. To this day, people along the border still refer to Thailand as Shan-Pyi (Country of the Shans). The word also denotes a member of the greater Thai family, Tai, the majority of whom live in Burma's Shan State.

Thaksin also claimed one of his family members was married to a Shan.

Altogether 50 boys, age between 7-12, attired in traditional royal dress participated in the ceremony surrounded by their parents and retainers.

The 3-day celebration that began yesterday was jointly organized by Papao Temple and the Shan Literature and Culture Society in Chiangmai.

The novitiation ceremony has been held in Thailand's second largest city since 1994.