The self-declared Shan government, which earlier this month claimed independence from Myanmar, is seeking recognition from the UN and several countries including Thailand, leaders of the rebel government said on Thursday.
"We are in the process of seeking recognition from a number of countries including the United Nations," said Hkun Hom, the self-proclaimed foreign minister of the Shan government.
On April 17, Shan Prince Surkhanpha, the son of Myanmar's first post-independence president Saopalong Sa Shwe Thaike, declared the Shan State of northeastern Myanmar independent and the establishment of a Shan government with himself as president.
The self-proclaimed government has called on the UN to send in a peacekeeping force to the Shan State to help remove Myanmar troops from their territory to pave the way for a free election.
"We have foreign troops in our country and have to see that they withdraw back to Burma before we can hold an election to elect a new government," said Hkun Hom, addressing an informal gathering of journalists in Bangkok.
Hkun Hom said the Shan government has also sought support and recognition from Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej, head of state of Thailand.
"We have no quarrel with the Thai government. In fact, we share the same heritage, history and culture so we would welcome full cooperation with the Thais," Surkhanpha said.
Surkhanpha, a geologist by profession who has been living in exile in Canada since 1966, claimed he had earned his mandate from the Shan people by secretly canvassing their support over the past two years.
"Our government's mandate comes from 48 townships out of 56 in the Shan State who voted for independence," he said.
He claimed firm support from the 8 million people residing in the Shan State, including the Shan State Army and other rebel groups who have been waging insurgencies in the area for the past five decades.
Surkhanpha said Myanmar, which has been under military rule since 1962, had lost its constitutional right to preserve the country as a union because of the Yangon-based military regime's mistreatment of ethnic minorities, including the Shan.
"The 1948 Union of Burma does not exist. The Burmese generals have converted it into a Burmese empire," said Surkhanpha, who refused to call the country by its official name, Myanmar.
CHAOS: Iranians took to the streets playing celebratory music after reports of Khamenei’s death on Saturday, while mourners also gathered in Tehran yesterday Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a major attack on Iran launched by Israel and the US, throwing the future of the Islamic republic into doubt and raising the risk of regional instability. Iranian state television and the state-run IRNA news agency announced the 86-year-old’s death early yesterday. US President Donald Trump said it gave Iranians their “greatest chance” to “take back” their country. The announcements came after a joint US and Israeli aerial bombardment that targeted Iranian military and governmental sites. Trump said the “heavy and pinpoint bombing” would continue through the week or as long
TRUST: The KMT said it respected the US’ timing and considerations, and hoped it would continue to honor its commitments to helping Taiwan bolster its defenses and deterrence US President Donald Trump is delaying a multibillion-dollar arms sale to Taiwan to ensure his visit to Beijing is successful, a New York Times report said. The weapons sales package has stalled in the US Department of State, the report said, citing US officials it did not identify. The White House has told agencies not to push forward ahead of Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), it said. The two last month held a phone call to discuss trade and geopolitical flashpoints ahead of the summit. Xi raised the Taiwan issue and urged the US to handle arms sales to
An Emirates flight from Dubai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport yesterday afternoon, the first service of the airline since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Saturday. Flight EK366 took off from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at 3:51am yesterday and landed at 4:02pm before taxiing to the airport’s D6 gate at Terminal 2 at 4:08pm, data from the airport and FlightAware, a global flight tracking site, showed. Of the 501 passengers on the flight, 275 were Taiwanese, including 96 group tour travelers, the data showed. Tourism Administration Deputy Director-General Huang He-ting (黃荷婷) greeted Taiwanese passengers at the airport and
State-run CPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC, 台灣中油) yesterday said that it had confirmed on Saturday night with its liquefied natural gas (LNG) and crude oil suppliers that shipments are proceeding as scheduled and that domestic supplies remain unaffected. The CPC yesterday announced the gasoline and diesel prices will rise by NT$0.2 and NT$0.4 per liter, respectively, starting Monday, citing Middle East tensions and blizzards in the eastern United States. CPC also iterated it has been reducing the proportion of crude oil imports from the Middle East and diversifying its supply sources in the past few years in response to geopolitical risks, expanding
RSS