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Message from SDU and SSA



The  SURA  Changes  its  name  to  SSA
( 1 January 1998 )

Beginning the New Year, the Shan United Revolutionary Army, commanded by
Yordserk, has officially changed its name to Shan State Army, according to
the communique in Shan by its source.

The basic was the agreement signed among the three Shan armed groups on 13
September 1996 at Camp Hseng Keo, Hsipaw State. The three, two of which,
namely, the Shan State Army and the Shan State National Army have cease-fire
agreements with the Rangoon junta, solemnly vowed to "stick together come
what may" on that day. The main term of the agreement was to adopt a common
designation: the Shan State Army. The other was to set up a political party
to be called the Shan State National Organization.

The leader of the combined force, Sao Sai Nawng, then went to Rangoon to
propose Slorc's official recognition. It was turned down by military that
resumed its offensive against the SURA.

Yordserk, in his new year's message, says: "It is time we put our agreement
into concrete deeds." However, comments from the other two is lacking. "One
thing is certain of course. It would not please Rangoon. And it will do its
best to destroy our unity."

Yordserk, now officially the Commander of the Shan State Army, Southern
Region, requests all to address him and the Army as such as of 1 January 1998.

SSA Information
---------------------------------------------------------------
SDU and SSA Message On  the  occasion  of
the  50th  anniversary  of  independence  DAY
( 4 January 1998 )

1 .	Today should be appropriate for all the parties concerned, including the
State Peace and Development Council, the National League for Democracy and
the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy, to seriously consider working
hand in hand to bring good tidings to our long suffering people.

	The piece of news that our people have been longing for urgently day and
night is peace, reconciliation and the end to human rights abuses which
include endless forced labor, forced relocations, plunders, rapes and
killings. If this cannot be conveyed, the extravagant celebrations would
mark nothing other than a meaningless independence which has plunged our
people into an endless living hell.

2 .	Therefore, for the sake of our people, we would like to present the
following proposal for consideration.

( a )	A nationwide dialogue for reconciliation is an absolute necessity. To
be able to convene a nationwide dialogue, we firmly believe that an Amnesty
Law must be promulgated. We the Shans who have suffered very grievously from
military atrocities and ethnic cleansing actions nonetheless support the
offer of amnesty, in the interest of lasting peace, democracy, human rights
and racial harmony.

( b )	We believe that the democratically elected Parliament has the
legitimacy and authority to pass an Amnesty Act. No other body has this right.

( c )	We believe that professional leaders within the military desire
dialogue and genuine national reconciliation as all other ethnic
nationalities do.

( d )	We therefore call upon the State Peace and Development Council to
allow parliament into session with the purpose of ( 1 ) passing an Amnesty
Act and ( 2 ) sanctioning an assembly to be participated in by all ethnic
elected and nonelected leaders, leaders of all social sectors, military and
civil servants as a preparatory body leading to nonviolent national conflict
resolution under the rule of law.

( e )	We appeal to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the National League for Democracy,
the National Coalition Government of Union of Burma and all grassroot
leaders of democratic groups to support our appeal for calling parliament
into session for this stated purpose.

3 .	We also appeal to world leaders, national governments, the UN, the EU
and ASEAN governments and leaders to constructively engage by assisting the
process of reconciliation leading to Lasting Peace in Burma.

Joint Executive Committee,
Shan Democratic Union - Shan States Army