The Shan State Progress Party / Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA), popularly known as the SSA North, yesterday held a ceremony to mark the 40th anniversary of the party’s founding at the besieged Wanhai base in Kehsi township, according to the SSA sources.
Maj Gen Pang Fa, who is concurrently the party’s General Secretary as well as the commander in chief of its armed wing, had sent a 4 page message to be read at the ceremony. “We will continue to fight until peaceful negotiations emerge to resolve our political problems,” he wrote.
The SSA’s Chief of Staff Col Khay Min, who remained in Wanhai to run the day-to-day affairs there, presided over the ceremony, attended by 285 fighters and villagers.
Information minister Kyaw Hsan, during his 12 August press conference in Naypyitaw, had given a somewhat unconvincing explanation why Wanhai (Wanhing to him) was yet to be attacked and occupied by the Burma Army: “Although the government had been in a position to attack with the help of artilleries and aircraft, only limited attacks were carried out by setting aside Wanhing Headquarters as it had been designated as the area of SSA (Wanhing) since peace was made (in 1989).”
The SSA North is still engaged in a mobile guerrilla warfare against the Burma Army. Nearly 300 clashes have been fought, according to Maj Gen Pang Fa, since 13 March, when Naypyitaw launched its Operation Zwe Man Hein against the SSA.
The SSPP was formed in 1971 under the leadership of the late Sao Sengsuk (1935-2007) and Chao Tzang Yawnghwe (1939-2004).
