The 76th Shan National Day ceremony was held on 7 February at the respective headquarters of the two Shan armed organizations – Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) and Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA).
The SSPP/SSA event at Wan Hai headquarters was attended by about 3,000 people, Lt. Col. Sai Su, spokesman for the SSPP, told the Shan Herald.
“About 3000 people, including military individuals and civilians, attended the ceremony. There were about 1,000 soldiers present. According to the program, General Say Htin made a speech and read out messages from political parties. Then we saluted the flag of Shan State and fallen comrades,” said Lt. Col. Sai Su.
It is reported that the Shan State National Day was held at Wan Hai HQ from 8 to 10 am.
Moreover, the SSPP/SSA did not invite the military council to its monumental event.
On the same day, the RCSS/SSA also opened its own Shan State National Day ceremony at 7 am at its headquarters in Loi Tai Leng.
The RCSS event was attended by the deputy commander of the Triangle Region Command in Kyaingtong, the deputy commander of the Eastern Central Command in Kho Lam led by Lt. Gen. Aye Win, and members of the PPST – Arakan Liberation Party (ALP), the Lahu Democratic Union (LDU) and the All Burma Students’ Democratic Front (ABSDF), said Maj. Sai Kham San, spokesman for the RCSS/SSA.
“The military council representatives were led to the event by Lt. Gen. Aye Win,” he said. Ethnic armed groups included ALP, LDU, PNLO and ABSDF. Some groups attended anonymously. In total, over 1,000 participants were present,” said Maj. Sai Kham San.
The Shan State National Day was promulgated on 7 February 1947, when seven Shan saophas (the former ruling hereditary princes) and seven people’s representatives sat together and agreed to form the Shan State Council to jointly achieve independence.
Sent by the Shan Herald.
