The Military Council’s leader, Min Aung Hlaing, personally attended the inauguration of the Shan Palace of Saopha (Literally: Lord of Sky) Hkun Hsang Tone Hung (b. 1852 – d. 1915) in Hsenwi in northern Shan State, which has been reconstructed by the military regime. The opening ceremony of the rebuilt Shan Palace was held at noon on April 11th.

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The Military Council has heightened security measures in the township of Theinni (Hsenwi) since early morning, following reports of Min Aung Hlaing’s plan to open the Theinni Shan Palace personally. A compulsory summons was issued to 2,200 individuals, consisting of locals, government employees, and farmers to attend the ceremony.

According to a ceremony attendee who spoke with the SHAN, the Military Council prohibited the use of mobile phones and photography during the opening of the Shan Palace.

“The authorities told us that a VIP was expected to attend the ceremony at around 9:00 am. However, Min Aung Hlaing himself arrived in the afternoon. Only individuals wearing a Haw Nan image badge were permitted to enter the ceremony”, he said.

Although it has been confirmed that Min Aung Hlaing attended the opening ceremony of Shan Palace, the details of whether he gave a speech or made donations at the ceremony, are not yet known.

The regime’s authorities conducted strict checks around Theinni Shan Palace and searched some homes in the vicinity a week prior to its opening.

“Since a week prior to the arrival of the Junta Leader, strict inspections have been carried out around Haw Nan, causing worry and fear among the locals”, a local man told SHAN.

He also expressed his opinion that the strict inspections could have been carried out due to concerns that the People’s Defense Forces (PDF) might show up during the opening ceremony.

It has been reported that approximately 300 million Kyats were allocated towards the reconstruction of the Shan Palace.

The historical Shan Palace was originally constructed in 1911 during the reign of Saopha Hkun Hsang Tone Hung in Theinni region of northern Shan State. Unfortunately, the palace was destroyed by bombing during World War II.

Military leader Min Aung Hlaing also attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Shan Palace on December 5th, 2020.