The near  month-long meeting  of the ceasefire Shan State Army (SSA) North concluded last Monday, August 4, sans any public statement, according to sources from northern Shan State.
 
Some important decisions were taken said an officer close to the deputy leader of the SSA-North, Col Gaifa. "However, I'm not privileged to say anything right now. The timing is just not right," he added.
 
The normally media shy group had swiftly reacted when the BBC Burmese section had reported on July 29 that the SSA-North had decided to contest the 2010 elections by saying "no decision has been reached yet."

The officer however acknowledged that among the topics discussed at the SSA North headquarters in Hseng Keow, Hsipaw Township, included the demand by the Burma Army for its senior leaders to retire and form a political party, among others.
 
Mizzima News reported on July 14 that the regime is planning to make an announcement this month for all political parties to register for 2010 elections.
 
"The SSA North certainly cannot make any careless announcement right now," said a former SSA officer who resides in Chiangmai. "Anything it says is bound to offend somebody, if not the Burma Army, it'll be the Chinese. And if not the Chinese then its own constituency, which means the people and the rank and file."
 
The group also appears to be banking on China's opposition to any resurgence of conflict along its borders. "We understand that Beijing has let it be known that it is against any outbreak of hostilities, be it during the Olympics or after," said the SSA-North officer.
 
Adjoining China's Yunnan province are areas more or less under the sway of the following ceasefire armies: National Democratic Army-Kachin (NDA-K), Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), Shan State Army (SSA) North, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (Kokang), United Wa State Army (UWSA) and National Democratic Alliance Army-Eastern Shan State (Mongla). Except for the Kachins, none of them is yet to respond to the regime's demand to form political parties to contest the 2010 elections.