NEWS - Wa leader Denied Being in Hi

[Rangoonp@xxxxxxx]

Subject: NEWS - Wa leader Denied Being in Hiding from Drug Police 

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Wa leader Denied Being in Hiding from Drug Police 
20 July 1999 

The leader of the non-ceasefire Wa group told SHAN he had not been
hiding from
Thai drug suppression squads as reported by SHAN last week. 

At the meeting which was held yesterday, Sao Mahasang, President of the
Wa
National Organization, rejected speculations about his disappearance
soon after
a press conference held by a Thai police general who mistakenly named
him as
the leader of the Red Wa group (i.e. the United Wa State Army) that was
believed to be in the process of importing 5.7 million amphetamine
tablets into
Thailand. 

"I had been across the border to inspect my troops. And when I heard
about the
press conference, I even came down to Maehongson to talk with Thai
officials
and make inquiries. I have nothing to hide from them", he said. 

He also reproached SHAN for involving the Shan States Army in the report
(SHAN,
12 July 1999). In it, SHAN had reported an unidentified Shan States Army
source
as saying a planned meeting between the SSA and the WNO had to be
postponed
because of his absence. "That was not true", said he. "I inquired on the
8th
whether the meeting would go as planned on the 11th and that I was ready
to
participate. Such a report, therefore, might cause misunderstandings
between
the SSA and the WNO". 

The SSA also denied incriminating the WNO in any manner. 

The Wa National Organization was formed and led by Sao Mahasang, a scion
of a
Wa noble family from Vieng-ngern during the' 70s. It is a member group
of the 
opposition umbrella alliances, namely, the National Democratic Front
(NDF), the
Democratic Alliance of Burma (DAB) and the National Council of the Union
of
Burma (NCUB). 

N.B. SHAN sincerely regrets for the mistake that came about. It would
not have
happen if SHAN had taken time to check the report which was originally
written
in Shan. 

SHAN has always been, and shall always be, for unity of all the diverse
groups
of Shan State. Therefore criticisms of SHAN conducting itself on the
contrary,
such as that from Sao Mahasang, shall be much appreciated and welcome. 


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Shan Resistance Leader Confirmed Unity with Yawdserk
20 July 1999 

A Shan resistance leader from eastern Shan State reaffirmed his group's
allegiance to Yawdserk, commander of the Shan States Army today. 

Interviewed by SHAN today, Maj. Kham Famuang, Acting Commander of the
East
Salween Force, confirmed his group's solidarity with Yawdserk's Shan
States
Army. 

"Yesterday was the third anniversary of the signing of our pact in
1996", he
said. "We held a special meeting of our commanders who pledged to remain
with
me under the leadership of Sao Yawdserk". 

The group had been somewhat adrift after the mysterious disappearance of
its
commander, Ltc. Lernsai a.k.a Sai Lu on 14 August. 

Kham Famuang a.k.a Kham celebrated the event by ambushing an SPDC column
from
IB 316 (Tachilek based) this morning. The attack, led by Capt. Suriya of
the
Black Panther Column, he said, captured 5 dead, 1 G3 (automatic rifle),
1 G4
(automatic rifle), 1 rocket launcher and more than 300 cartridges. 

"They also captured large quantities of chicken flesh from the
backpacks. They
were no doubt stolen from the villagers", he said. 

The battle took place near the village of Mongkarn in Mongsart District
yesterday, 09:30 - 12:00. The Shan suffered one wounded, he added: a
First
Lieutenant Zarm. 

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