One more Shan party official forced to resign

One more Shan party official forced to resign

Military authorities had forced yet another Shan political party functionary to resign, a source from Taunggyi reported this morning.

Sai Panlu, 40, from Banyen, Hsiseng Township, 30 miles south of Taunggyi, had submitted the letter of resignation to the Hsiseng Electoral Commission on 3 September, citing health and livelihood problems. Until then, he had been serving as the secretary of the township party branch of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy, the largest winning party in Shan State and the second largest winning party in the whole of Burma.

"I'm not surprised," the source commented. "Prominent party members always run into junta-made difficulties when trying to make a living."

He was credited as being an active Shan literacy campaign, known popularly as Five Horses Campaign, until the SNLD was formed in 1988, according to Sai Aung Mart, former Joint Secretary of the party.

Two party branches so far have been ordered by the authorities to dissolve: one from Langkher, 114 miles southeast of Taunggyi, on 21 January and the other from Mongkerng, 108 miles northeast of Taunggyi, on 28 May.