Junta Orders Officers To Learn Shan

[shan@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: Junta Orders Officers To Learn Shan to Combat Shans: 

24 August 1999 

Junta Orders Officers To Learn Shan to Combat Shans 

A State Peace and Development Council commander had recently issued orders to
its units to attend special Shan language classes in order to combat dissident
Shans, reported a source from the border. 

Dr. Sai Saykaw, Chairman of the local Union Solidarity and Development
Association (USDA) and Sai Longseng, its vice chairman, were recently summoned
by Maj. General Thein Sein, Commander of the Triangle Command, with its
headquarters in Kengtung, and ordered ("on Rangoon's orders, he said") to open
Shan language classes for USDA officials. Sai Saykaw is the son of former
Chief
of Mongsart. 

As a result, a special language class was completed, 9 - 12 August, in
Kengtung
at the Maha Myatmuni Temple. Altogether 17 USDA officials who had already
learned basic Shan [Mongtoom (1), Tachilek (2), Mongpyak (2), Mongyawng (3),
and Mongyang (2)] - attended the class. "Though there were only less than 20
students, ten instructors were employed to teach them advanced Shan, such as
common Shan expressions, idioms and political terms", said the source. 

Following "this successful completion", the source said an order had been
issued to all units under its command to set up a two-month long Shan classes,
beginning 31 August. Each battalion is required to select 30 students for the
classes, 8 periods each day, 45 minutes per period. 

"That was only for enlisted men", added the source. "In addition, 20 officers
from second lieutenants upwards shall attend evening classes beginning
September. It shall also be a two month course". 

One reason, said the source, for this extraordinary campaign was to enable the
junta to control the population through the USDA effectively, and prevent them
from being influenced by dissident Shan organizations like the Shan
Nationalities League for Democracy that won elections in 1990. 

/// END \\\ 
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