The 48th anniversary of the founding of the Shan State Army (SSA) on 24 April 1964 on the Thai-Burmese border was observed at the SSA North’s headquarters Wanhai, Kehsi township, Shan State South, yesterday.
Lt-Gen Hso Ten, who was retained as the group’s patron following his release in November 2011, told the 527 participants, “We had taken up arms and dorned the green uniform not because we were blood-thirsty, but only because we were being deprived of rights.”
Lt-Gen Pang Fa, who doubles as leader of the SSA North as well as its political arm Shan State Progress Party (SSPP), was awarded a $ 17,000 gold medal by representatives of the people from Lashio, Hsipaw and Mongyai townships for his refusal to yield to the Burma Army’s demand to become a Burmese military run People’s Militia Force (PMF) and his subsequent resistance against Burma Army offensive during the 2009-2011 period.
The SSA was formed when the Shan State Independence Army (SSIA) and the Shan National United Front (SNUF) merged together under the leadership of Sao Hearn Hkam, Mahadevi of Yawnghwe, and the first First Lady of the Union of Burma (1948-52). It was later joined by the Kokang Revolutionary Force (KRF) led by Jimmy Yang aka Yang Zhensheng aka Sao Ladd. The SSPP was formed in 1971 under the leadership of the late Sao Hseng Suk (1935-2007) and Chao Tzang Yawnghwe (1939-2004).
Its sister organization, the SSA South, whose origin goes back to the SNUF, has not celebrated the event, preferring to hold it together with the Resistance Day which falls next month on 21 May (1958).
