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Truce Brings Only Grief, Says Cease

Subject: Truce Brings Only Grief, Says Ceasefire Leader

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SHAN HERALD AGENCY FOR NEWS

21 October 1999

No: 10 - 22

Truce Brings Only Grief, Says Ceasefire Leader

Ten years after signing truce with Burmese Junta, conditions have =
worsened=20
for both his group and the local people, reads a report from a Shan=20
commander of the Shan States Army North, a copy of which S.H.A.N. =
received=20
recently.

In his letter written to Sao Loimao, Chairman of the SSA-North, dated 24 =

June, Ltc. Saimo, Commander of the Third Brigade, reported that his =
unit's=20
"feet are shackled" and that its movements had been confined to a small=20
area in northern Shan State.

Before 1989, the year the SSA-N, along with other groups like Kokang and =

Wa, signed a truce with the Burmese Army, the Third Brigade's =
operational=20
zone, he said, stretched as far as Namhsan in the north, Mongmit and=20
Mongkut (Mogok in Burmese) in the west, the foothills of Burma, =
Nawngkheo=20
and Thabeikkyin in the south and Namtu and Lashio in the east (about =
5,000=20
square miles).

The unit is now wedged inside a small strip of land bordered by Namhsan, =

Namtu, Hsipaw and Kyaukme, no more than a tenth of its former area.

According to ceasefire terms, he could no longer operate inside five =
miles=20
of each side of the motor roads.

"Worse, we were barred from carrying arms, when we have to move our =
troops=20
across towns since mid-1997", he said.

Another grievance was that the Third Brigade were stopped by the SPDC =
from=20
the logging business. "Some might say 'what's wrong with that? The=20
government is only trying to conserve the forest, isn't it?'" said DIN,=20
S.H.A.N.'s northern reporter. "What's wrong is that trees are being =
felled=20
in large numbers in the other parts of the Shan State, in some cases, by =

the Burmese troops themselves".

The rice supplies from the Burma Army also ceased about the same time =
(i.e.=20
mid-1997), Col. Saimo said.

The worst thing was that while the SSA was being prohibited from=20
recruiting, local people were being forced to serve as militia men, =
known=20
as Anti-Insurgency Units, he said. "The rural areas nowadays are no =
longer=20
different from the period while we were still fighting".

According to his detailed report, a militia force had been formed in =
each=20
of the 12 villages around his area, comprising 377 men with 412 small =
arms,=20
most of them M-21 and M-22 automatic rifles. "Each village has to be=20
responsible for the arms and the upkeep of the militiamen", said Saimo. =
"K.=20
4,500 for each piece of arms and K. 10,000 monthly pay for each =
militiaman,=20
he said. Also another batch of militia, totalling 600 men, has been=20
forcibly formed recently in 12 other villages".

DIN added that so far the Third Brigade's grievances were yet to be =
addressed.

Related News: See "Elderly Men Pressganged To Become Militia"

///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>

S.H.A.N. is a non-profit making, independent Shan media group. It is not =

affiliated to any political or armed organization.



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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D4><STRONG><EM>SHAN HERALD AGENCY FOR=20
NEWS</EM></STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial><FONT size=3D3>21 October 1999<BR><BR>No: 10 -=20
22<BR><BR></FONT><STRONG><FONT size=3D4>Truce Brings Only Grief, Says =
Ceasefire=20
Leader</FONT></STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial><FONT size=3D3><BR>Ten years after signing truce =
with=20
Burmese Junta, conditions have worsened <BR>for both his group and the =
local=20
people, reads a report from a Shan <BR>commander of the Shan States Army =
North,=20
a copy of which S.H.A.N. received <BR>recently.<BR><BR>In his letter =
written to=20
Sao Loimao, Chairman of the SSA-North, dated 24 <BR>June, Ltc. Saimo, =
Commander=20
of the Third Brigade, reported that his unit's <BR>"feet are shackled" =
and that=20
its movements had been confined to a small <BR>area in northern Shan=20
State.<BR><BR>Before 1989, the year the SSA-N, along with other groups =
like=20
Kokang and <BR>Wa, signed a truce with the Burmese Army, the Third =
Brigade's=20
operational <BR>zone, he said, stretched as far as Namhsan in the north, =
Mongmit=20
and <BR>Mongkut (Mogok in Burmese) in the west, the foothills of Burma,=20
Nawngkheo <BR>and Thabeikkyin in the south and Namtu and Lashio in the =
east=20
(about 5,000 <BR>square miles).<BR><BR>The unit is now wedged inside a =
small=20
strip of land bordered by Namhsan, <BR>Namtu, Hsipaw and Kyaukme, no =
more than a=20
tenth of its former area.<BR><BR>According to ceasefire terms, he could =
no=20
longer operate inside five miles <BR>of each side of the motor=20
roads.<BR><BR>"Worse, we were barred from carrying arms, when we have to =
move=20
our troops <BR>across towns since mid-1997", he said.<BR><BR>Another =
grievance=20
was that the Third Brigade were stopped by the SPDC from <BR>the logging =

business. "Some might say 'what's wrong with that? The <BR>government is =
only=20
trying to conserve the forest, isn't it?'" said DIN, <BR>S.H.A.N.'s =
northern=20
reporter. "What's wrong is that trees are being felled <BR>in large =
numbers in=20
the other parts of the Shan State, in some cases, by <BR>the Burmese =
troops=20
themselves".<BR><BR>The rice supplies from the Burma Army also ceased =
about the=20
same time (i.e. <BR>mid-1997), Col. Saimo said.<BR><BR>The worst thing =
was that=20
while the SSA was being prohibited from <BR>recruiting, local people =
were being=20
forced to serve as militia men, known <BR>as Anti-Insurgency Units, he =
said.=20
"The rural areas nowadays are no longer <BR>different from the period =
while we=20
were still fighting".<BR><BR>According to his detailed report, a militia =
force=20
had been formed in each <BR>of the 12 villages around his area, =
comprising 377=20
men with 412 small arms, <BR>most of them M-21 and M-22 automatic =
rifles. "Each=20
village has to be <BR>responsible for the arms and the upkeep of the=20
militiamen", said Saimo. "K. <BR>4,500 for each piece of arms and K. =
10,000=20
monthly pay for each militiaman, <BR>he said. Also another batch of =
militia,=20
totalling 600 men, has been <BR>forcibly formed recently in 12 other=20
villages".<BR><BR>DIN added that so far the Third Brigade's grievances =
were yet=20
to be addressed.<BR><BR>Related News: See "Elderly Men Pressganged To =
Become=20
Militia"<BR><BR>///END\\\<BR>For further information, please contact =
S.H.A.N.=20
at:<BR>Shan Herald Agency for News.<BR>P.O. Box. 15, Nonghoi P.O., =
50007,=20
Chiangmai, Thailand<BR>Ph/Fax: (053) 807 121<BR>e-mail: &lt;<A=20
href=3D"mailto:shan@xxxxxxxxxxxx";>shan@xxxxxxxxxxxx</A>&gt;<BR><BR>S.H.A.=
N. is a=20
non-profit making, independent Shan media group. It is not =
<BR>affiliated to any=20
political or armed =
organization.<BR><BR></DIV></FONT></FONT></BODY></HTML>

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