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A Tribute to the Martyrs Day, 19 Ju (r)

Subject: A Tribute to the Martyrs Day, 19 July 1999

14 July 1999

A Tribute to the Martyrs Day, 19 July 1999
Like Father like Son-=20
The Shan who started Panglong =20

19 July for most Burmans marks the assassination of Aung San and his
colleagues. The fact is that in the mind-set of the majority, Aung San =
looms
large and distinct while the rest of the martyrs are only a blur in the
background.=20

Sao Sarm Htoon (1907 - 1947), Prince of Mongpawng state, who was never =
known to
be a publicity-hunter, is certainly among those in the background.=20

He was the son of Sao Khun Hti, a leader of the Shan Confederacy, that =
finally
freed the Shan States from Mandalay, then the capital of the Burmese =
kings, in
1882. He was also one of the few Shan princes that the British respected =
when
the Shan States became a British protectorate five years later.=20

Fifty-eight years afterwards, it was his son, Sao Sarm Htun, who was =
among the
Shan leaders that sought to free the Shan States from the British. At =
the
funeral of his consort, Sao Khin Thaung, in 1945, the leaders that =
gathered
there started a discussion that concluded in a decision to call the =
Panglong
Conference, which was held first in 1946 and then in 1947 when Burma, =
Kachin,
Chin and Shan representatives agreed to struggle for joint independence. =


He was then elected by the Supreme Council of the United Hills Peoples =
(SCOUHP)
as their chief representative to work with the Burmese interim =
government led
by Aung San. Sao Sarm Htun was with Aung San when the assassins raided =
the
Secretariat on that fateful day in July.=20

Khun Kya Bu, a signatory to the Panglong Agreement, reported: "If July =
19,
1947, is the blackest day for both Burmese and Shans alike, the next day =
was no
less blacker. Zao Zarm Htun (Sao Sarm Htun), the Prince of Mongpawn, who =
was
among the wounded during the assassination of Aung San was taken with =
the
others to the General Hospital in Rangoon. His Karen personal assistant
personally carried him there. Apart from being unable to speak, because =
of the
bullet wound in his chin, he was conscious and in good spirits when last =
seen.
"But we were not allowed to visit him. They just told me he was all =
right, that
there was nothing to worry about him. Then the next day, it was =
announced that
he died from his wounds".=20

Sao Sarm Htun left two sons, Sao Hso Hom, who succeeded him and Sao =
Kaifah. Sao
Hso Hom is reported as the President of the Shan Democratic Union formed =
by the
overseas Shans in 1996.=20

Shans had joined Burma in 1947 under the treaty called Panglong =
Agreement which
guaranteed Full Autonomy, Human Rights and Democracy for them. They have =
been
fighting against successive Rangoon governments since the terms of =
agreement
were violated. Their main party is the Shan Nationalities League for =
Democracy
that won the General Elections in the Shan State in 1990 and their =
central
armed movement is the Shan States Army.=20

/// END \\\=20

For further information, please contact S.H.A.N. at:=20
Shan Herald Agency for News.=20
P.O. Box. 15=20
Nonghoi P.O., 50007=20
Chiangmai=20
Thailand=20
Ph/Fax: (053) 807 121
e-mail: <shan@xxxxxxxxxxxx>=20





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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>14 July =
1999<BR><BR>A Tribute to=20
the Martyrs Day, 19 July 1999<BR>Like Father like Son- <BR>The Shan who =
started=20
Panglong&nbsp; <BR><BR>19 July for most Burmans marks the assassination =
of Aung=20
San and his<BR>colleagues. The fact is that in the mind-set of the =
majority,=20
Aung San looms<BR>large and distinct while the rest of the martyrs are =
only a=20
blur in the<BR>background. <BR><BR>Sao Sarm Htoon (1907 - 1947), Prince =
of=20
Mongpawng state, who was never known to<BR>be a publicity-hunter, is =
certainly=20
among those in the background. <BR><BR>He was the son of Sao Khun Hti, a =
leader=20
of the Shan Confederacy, that finally<BR>freed the Shan States from =
Mandalay,=20
then the capital of the Burmese kings, in<BR>1882. He was also one of =
the few=20
Shan princes that the British respected when<BR>the Shan States became a =
British=20
protectorate five years later. <BR><BR>Fifty-eight years afterwards, it =
was his=20
son, Sao Sarm Htun, who was among the<BR>Shan leaders that sought to =
free the=20
Shan States from the British. At the<BR>funeral of his consort, Sao Khin =
Thaung,=20
in 1945, the leaders that gathered<BR>there started a discussion that =
concluded=20
in a decision to call the Panglong<BR>Conference, which was held first =
in 1946=20
and then in 1947 when Burma, Kachin,<BR>Chin and Shan representatives =
agreed to=20
struggle for joint independence. <BR><BR>He was then elected by the =
Supreme=20
Council of the United Hills Peoples (SCOUHP)<BR>as their chief =
representative to=20
work with the Burmese interim government led<BR>by Aung San. Sao Sarm =
Htun was=20
with Aung San when the assassins raided the<BR>Secretariat on that =
fateful day=20
in July. <BR><BR>Khun Kya Bu, a signatory to the Panglong Agreement, =
reported:=20
"If July 19,<BR>1947, is the blackest day for both Burmese and Shans =
alike, the=20
next day was no<BR>less blacker. Zao Zarm Htun (Sao Sarm Htun), the =
Prince of=20
Mongpawn, who was<BR>among the wounded during the assassination of Aung =
San was=20
taken with the<BR>others to the General Hospital in Rangoon. His Karen =
personal=20
assistant<BR>personally carried him there. Apart from being unable to =
speak,=20
because of the<BR>bullet wound in his chin, he was conscious and in good =
spirits=20
when last seen.<BR>"But we were not allowed to visit him. They just told =
me he=20
was all right, that<BR>there was nothing to worry about him. Then the =
next day,=20
it was announced that<BR>he died from his wounds". <BR><BR>Sao Sarm Htun =
left=20
two sons, Sao Hso Hom, who succeeded him and Sao Kaifah. Sao<BR>Hso Hom =
is=20
reported as the President of the Shan Democratic Union formed by =
the<BR>overseas=20
Shans in 1996. <BR><BR>Shans had joined Burma in 1947 under the treaty =
called=20
Panglong Agreement which<BR>guaranteed Full Autonomy, Human Rights and =
Democracy=20
for them. They have been<BR>fighting against successive Rangoon =
governments=20
since the terms of agreement<BR>were violated. Their main party is the =
Shan=20
Nationalities League for Democracy<BR>that won the General Elections in =
the Shan=20
State in 1990 and their central<BR>armed movement is the Shan States =
Army.=20
<BR><BR>/// END \\\ <BR><BR>For further information, please contact =
S.H.A.N. at:=20
<BR>Shan Herald Agency for News. <BR>P.O. Box. 15 <BR>Nonghoi P.O., =
50007=20
<BR>Chiangmai <BR>Thailand <BR>Ph/Fax: (053) 807 121<BR>e-mail: &lt;<A=20
href=3D"mailto:shan@xxxxxxxxxxxx";>shan@xxxxxxxxxxxx</A>&gt;=20
<BR><BR><BR><BR></FONT></BODY></HTML>

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