General Pang Fa, the Chairman of the Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA) has indicated that the SSPP/SSA is willing to facilitate negotiations between the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and Shan people in northern Shan State.

Speaking at the SSPP/SSA headquarters in Wanhai on Tuesday during a meeting with civilians and monks, General Pang Fa, said that he will speak to the TNLA leadership to help solve problems that have occurred in the area.

“Right now, the TNLA and the government’s military are going to hold a discussion,” said Gen. Pang Fa whose group did not sign on to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) with the government last year and has continued to clash with Burma’s military. “The Restoration Council of Shan State [the Shan State Army south who signed the NCA with the government] will also have to talk with them,” he added.

“Even though there has been fighting between us and the Burma army for 50 to 60 years we can find the way for negotiations. But, why the Shan and Ta’ang cannot, we live on the same land so we can talk to each other,” he explained. “Our enemy is laughing when they see us fighting each other”.

“We have to think deeply about who created this problem. Don’t just look at it on the surface.”

“What the Burma army has been doing is holding water in one hand and fire in the other,” Gen. Pang Fa explained. “This means they do not really want peace.”

Fighting between the Burma army and ethnic armed groups in northern Shan State has caused thousands of people to flee their homes. Many of the refugees are currently sheltering in refugee camps in northern Shan State.

By Staff/Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN)