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Shan Leader Back from East Timor



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SHAN HERALD AGENCY FOR NEWS

S.H.A.N -13 September 1999=20

Shan Leader Back from East Timor
=20
A Shan leader from the Shan States Army arrived on Monday from his trip =
to
observe and support the East Timorese referendum which was held late =
last
month.=20

Sao Ood Kesi, Chief Foreign Affairs Officer of the SSA, told S.H.A.N. he =
left
for Dili, East Timor, with Remon Htoo, General Secretary of the Karenni
National Progress Party, on 26 August and returned on 6 September, two =
days
earlier than scheduled, because of the increasing violence there. The =
trip was
organized by Asia-Pacific Coalition for East Timor (APCET).=20

"It was really an honor for both of us to be there to witness the =
country's
most historic event", he said.=20

The Shan States, Karenni and Mon of Burma are, together with East Timor,
members of the unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization, known as =
the
Alternative UN, set up by the Dalai Lama of Tibet and the Baltic States =
before
the collapse of the Soviet Union.=20

"I had the chance to be interviewed by the local television on 28 =
August. I
said I felt proud to be there, because one of our members, whose right =
of self
determination had been recognized, was able to exercise the right", he =
said.=20

According to the 1947 Union Constitution, considered the most federal so =
far,
both Shan and Karenni enjoyed the right of secession. The constitution =
was
abolished by the Revolutionary Council, led by General Ne Win, the =
predecessor
to the present junta, in 1962. Both Shan and Karenni considered =
themselves
independent, sovereign states, as they were no longer bound by any legal
contract with Burma that had instead became a colonial power.=20

"I'm worried, nevertheless, by the extent of violence there. A country =
that
professes democracy should bow to the will of the people. This could set =
as a
bad precedent for both the Shan States and Karenni", he added.=20

In the meanwhile, a letter of congratulations by the Shan States =
Ambassador,
Sai Wansai, was conveyed to Jose Ramos-Horta, the East Timorese leading
activists and a Nobel Price recipient, for "their courageous deeds shown =
to the
world, in the face of Indonesian military and its militias' =
intimidation.=20

/// END \\\=20
For further information, please contact S.H.A.N. at:=20
Shan Herald Agency for News, P.O. Box. 15, Nonghoi P.O., 50007, =
Chiangmai,
Thailand. =20
Ph/Fax: (053) 807 121.=20
e-mail: <shan@xxxxxxxxxxxx>=20


S.H.A.N. is a non-profit making, independent Shan media group. It is not
affiliated to any political or armed organizations.=20



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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><STRONG><EM>SHAN HERALD AGENCY FOR=20
NEWS</EM></STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>S.H.A.N -13 September 1999 <BR><BR>Shan Leader =
Back from=20
East Timor</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>&nbsp;<BR>A Shan leader from the Shan States =
Army arrived=20
on Monday from his trip to<BR>observe and support the East Timorese =
referendum=20
which was held late last<BR>month. <BR><BR>Sao Ood Kesi, Chief Foreign =
Affairs=20
Officer of the SSA, told S.H.A.N. he left<BR>for Dili, East Timor, with =
Remon=20
Htoo, General Secretary of the Karenni<BR>National Progress Party, on 26 =
August=20
and returned on 6 September, two days<BR>earlier than scheduled, because =
of the=20
increasing violence there. The trip was<BR>organized by Asia-Pacific =
Coalition=20
for East Timor (APCET). <BR><BR>"It was really an honor for both of us =
to be=20
there to witness the country's<BR>most historic event", he said. =
<BR><BR>The=20
Shan States, Karenni and Mon of Burma are, together with East =
Timor,<BR>members=20
of the unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization, known as=20
the<BR>Alternative UN, set up by the Dalai Lama of Tibet and the Baltic =
States=20
before<BR>the collapse of the Soviet Union. <BR><BR>"I had the chance to =
be=20
interviewed by the local television on 28 August. I<BR>said I felt proud =
to be=20
there, because one of our members, whose right of self<BR>determination =
had been=20
recognized, was able to exercise the right", he said. <BR><BR>According =
to the=20
1947 Union Constitution, considered the most federal so far,<BR>both =
Shan and=20
Karenni enjoyed the right of secession. The constitution =
was<BR>abolished by the=20
Revolutionary Council, led by General Ne Win, the predecessor<BR>to the =
present=20
junta, in 1962. Both Shan and Karenni considered =
themselves<BR>independent,=20
sovereign states, as they were no longer bound by any legal<BR>contract =
with=20
Burma that had instead became a colonial power. <BR><BR>"I'm worried,=20
nevertheless, by the extent of violence there. A country =
that<BR>professes=20
democracy should bow to the will of the people. This could set as =
a<BR>bad=20
precedent for both the Shan States and Karenni", he added. <BR><BR>In =
the=20
meanwhile, a letter of congratulations by the Shan States =
Ambassador,<BR>Sai=20
Wansai, was conveyed to Jose Ramos-Horta, the East Timorese =
leading<BR>activists=20
and a Nobel Price recipient, for "their courageous deeds shown to =
the<BR>world,=20
in the face of Indonesian military and its militias' intimidation. =
<BR><BR>///=20
END \\\ <BR>For further information, please contact S.H.A.N. at: =
<BR>Shan Herald=20
Agency for News, P.O. Box. 15, Nonghoi P.O., 50007,=20
Chiangmai,<BR>Thailand.&nbsp; <BR>Ph/Fax: (053) 807 121. <BR>e-mail: =
&lt;<A=20
href=3D"mailto:shan@xxxxxxxxxxxx";>shan@xxxxxxxxxxxx</A>&gt; =
<BR><BR><BR>S.H.A.N.=20
is a non-profit making, independent Shan media group. It is =
not<BR>affiliated to=20
any political or armed organizations. =
<BR><BR></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>

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