No.01 - 02/2006
02 February 2006

Politics

Yawdserk: There is no Shan Government

As far as the Shan State Army 'South' is concerned, the government of Shan State is non-existent, declared Col Yawdserk during a recent interview at his base opposite Maehongson.

"If there is going to be any meeting between us, it will be an informal one," the 49-year old leader of the SSA-South's political wing, Restoration Council of Shan State, told S.H.A.N. "Formal meetings are out of the question."

This was in response to overtures by a group of Shan activists that had formed the Interim Shan Government (ISG) last March and declared independence from Burma on 17 April for a face-to-face meeting to resolve their differences.

Two of the ISG's members, "Foreign Minister" Khun Hom, and "Defense Minister" Tun Aye, had been on the Advisory Council of the RCSS/SSA. Col Moengzuen, Commander of the Shan State Army 'Central' set up by the ISG, had also been commander of the SSA-South's 758th Brigade.

Col Yawdserk, whose name means 'Best in War', and not 'Warlord' as translated by Reuters, also denied there was a major operation launched by Rangoon against Moengzuen's forces in southern Shan State.

"We have yet to hear any clashes of significance," he maintained. "On the other hand, we keep hearing reports of the Burma Army trying to coax him to surrender."

The interview took place less than a week after one of the SSA South's units was said to have put to rout a 40-men strong column from Panglawng-based Infantry Battalion 249 on 23 January at Loi Pangkawk, Mongkerng township. The Burma Army column left on the field 11 dead including its commander, Captain Kyaw Oh, 1 set of radio communications equipment, 1 M-79 grenade launcher, 1 M16 and 3 MA1 automatic rifles. On the SSA side, there was 1 dead and 4 wounded.

The ISG meanwhile stated that with "a fully armed 2,500 troops under its command and another 25,000 in reserve," there was no question of surrender.

The SSA-South, whose leading members are reportedly engaged in a series of meetings to form a representative body of Shan State, are not available for further comments.

According to the 12 October 2004 decisions of the Ethnic Nationalities Council that claims to represent non-Burman political fronts, parties and organizations, the Council would be restructured based on the existing constituent states of Burma: Arakan, Chin, Kachin, Karen, Karenni (Kayah), Mon and Shan.