Shan State in Turmoil: Independence, Civil War, What Next?

During the past two months, a chain of unexpected events took place in Shan State that may send shivers through the whole ethnic insurgency scene in Burma. Between March and May 2005, independence of Shan State was declared, fighting resumed between the United Wa State Army and the Shan State Army- South, and the Shan State National Army, previously on ceasefire, broke its truce with Rangoon and took up an armed struggle (…)From an outsider’s perspective, the recent political and military manoeuvres reinforce the complex nature of Shan State insurgency. Are these series of events part of a global strategy of the political and military Shan leadership or are they simply a succession of random actions? What are the possible repercussions be for the whole Shan community? What consequences will such actions have at the national level?

People's Perspectives

Interview of a Shan Human Rights Activist To get clearer pictures of the recent events that took place in Shan State, Burma Issues conducted an interview late May, with a Shan human rights activist who is based in Chiang Mai and works frequently inside Southern Shan State.