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28 April 1999 

Cease fire Group and SPDC Commanders Share the Spoils of Gambling: 

24 April 1999 Reports reaching the Thai border from the Shan states Says
one of the ceasefire groups and the local SPDC commanders had been opening
up gambling dens in the southern township of Mongpan for almost a month
since March. 

>From 24 March to 20 April, the Shan nationalities Peoples' liberation
Organization (SNPLO), a ceasefire group generally known as the Red Pa-o,
had opened gambling dens during the traditional Buddhist Novitiation
Ceremony in Mongpan, a town 120 miles from Chiangmai Province. The local
commanders of infantry battalions 332 and 520 reportedly received K. 80,000
each per day (K. 60,000 for personal use and the rest for the battalion) as
tax. 

The place was swarmed with gambling addicts from towns such as Taunggyi,
Laolem, Panglong, Langkher, Mongnai and khunhing. Well known drug producers
just a cross form the Thai border such as Muling aks Sai Yee aks Liu
zipeng, Hla Aung and Yang Erh were among them. 

Also seen among the crowd were Child beggars and prostitutes from
surrounding villages such as Nawnghee, Poongker, Nalaw and Tawngkwai that
were forcibly relocated to the town's outskirts crowd. "All their worldly
belongings have gone and their parents have no means to support them
anymore", said the source. 

The SNPLO, led by Takley and Saw Hpamu, joined Khun Sa's Mong Tai Army in
the early 90's. The alliance broke up soon and the SNPLO signed a ceasefire
pact with Rangoon on 9 October 19994. Their headquarters is in Nawnghtao in
Hsiseng Township 60 - miles south of Taunggyi. 

It is illegal to engage gambling activities in Burma. One of the
accusations in against the Shan princes before their downfall was their
tolerant policy towards gambling which had been a nemisis to the Shan
population.