"Myanmar’s former military strongman, Senior General Than Shwe, has resurfaced after falling from public view, sparking speculation that he may aim to play a role in the country’s stuttering peace process. According to a November 30 report in the local The Irrawaddy, the now retired military officer who served as chairman of the then ruling junta from 1992 to 2011 met recently with a delegation of ethnic Pa-O leaders at his home in the capital Naypyitaw. In the meeting, he reportedly urged them to devote themselves to building roads and educating their children. The Pa-O delegation was headed by Aung Kham Hti, leader of the Pa-O National Organization, which entered into a ceasefire agreement with the Myanmar military in 1991 and has since maintained a self-administered zone south of the Shan state capital of Taunggyi..."