The Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS/SSA) has issued a warning about the military’s deliberate attempts to create conflict in Southern Shan State. The military has forced local residents and former government employees in Kunhing and Mong Pan towns to participate in protests against the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA). These orchestrated demonstrations represent a calculated effort by the military to generate tension between ethnic armed organizations.
RCSS/SSA Secretary-2 Colonel Sai Kham San revealed that the military’s actions do not reflect the genuine will of the Shan people but rather constitute a deliberate attempt to create dissent and conflict between ethnic armed organizations. Despite the absence of any actual fighting in Southern Shan State, the military has compelled staff members to wear traditional Shan clothing, raise Shan flags, and stage protests against the TNLA and MNDAA. The RCSS/SSA, which is a signatory to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) with the military and has not directly participated in the Spring Revolution, has strongly condemned these actions by the military forces.
The military is reportedly pressuring various townships throughout Southern Shan State to conduct similar demonstrations. The RCSS/SSA has cautioned that these actions are deliberately designed to create suspicion and division among ethnic armed organizations. The forced demonstrations, involving non-CDM staff members and local residents, represent a concerning pattern of the military’s attempts to manipulate ethnic tensions for its own purposes. The RCSS/SSA has emphasized that these staged protests do not represent the true sentiments of the Shan people and has formally objected to the military’s use of Shan cultural symbols and identity to create artificial conflicts between ethnic groups.
