YANGON, 24 July- The following is a translation of speech delivered by Deputy Commander of SSA Brigade No 6 U Sai Ku.

He said that he, Shan national, was born in Panhu Village of Panglong Township. Though the Government has built schools in the region, the national races had no opportunity to study because of lack of security.

The insurgents were also Shan national races. Due to their destructive acts, youths were not educated and also weak in thought. The parents made their children novitiate at the monastery in the village for their education and avoiding recruitment of insurgent groups.

While he was helping his parents on their farm, at the age of 16, he was forced by Major Kan Hsay of SURA as recruitment to attend the training in Panglong region at the border area of Thailand in 1981. Next, he performed his duties in the western region of

He said, they desired for development of education, health, transport, economic and social sectors. However, the government at that time did not concentrate on development of their region. Thus, they took up armed struggle line. At the time of the present Tatmadaw Government, they enjoy development of the regions including rural areas facilitated with schools, hospitals, electricity, roads and bridges. Therefore, they exchanged arms for peace after realizing that the armed struggle line is wrong.

While taking arms, they made their living with extortion money from the local people, and they could not serve the interests of the local people. On the other hand, they found that the Government is carrying out regional development tasks. After realizing that their acts caused the burden to the local people, they unconditionally exchanged arms for peace in the interests of the people. They collected extortion money from the people. They felt shameful for their acts on the local people. At the same time, they realized that the local people gave extortion money and rice without generosity to them. So, they decided to exchange arms for peace in the interests of the people.

However, they were taking up arms and continued the recruitment and collection of extortion money from the local people. And, they had to hand over the extortion money to the SSNA leaders.

The SSNA leaders did not spend the extortion money on construction of even one road except self-interest including construction of their houses in urban areas. Furthermore, the leaders provided assistance to their families. The leaders spent the money on construction of the buildings in urban areas and on expenditure of their families. But, the members of the Brigade had to live in poverty with only K 500 a month. They felt uneasy in threatening local people for making their living.

At such a time, SSNA Brigade-11 Commander U Kan Na and members unconditionally exchanged arms for peace, and they were warmly welcomed by the local people.

He explained that the purpose of unconditional exchange of arms for peace was the result of the true thought, wish of the people, genuine goodwill of the Government.

Hence, they decided to give up arms of their own accord. In this regard, they unconditionally exchanged arms for peace of their own accord and wish of the people, and without pressure and threat of the Government.

Nowadays, it is not the time to threaten and oppress the people by holding arms and collecting extortion money. It is time to restore peace after abandoning their arms when the Government is striving for equitable development of national races, hilly regions and plains.

He expressed his satisfaction for warm welcome of the people and repented their past misdeeds. In conclusion, he spoke words of thanks for welcome of the Government and the people.

YANGON, 24 July- The following is translation of speech by U Sai Yee of SSA (Breakaway group) who had returned to the legal fold since 1995.

He said that he was a leader of SSA (Shan State Army) and a Shan national. He was born in Weinlan Village in Muse Township. He was in the fifth Grade in the village primary school in 1961 and left the school in the same year.

In 1975, Commander of BCP’s Battalion 801 Sein Pan recruited new members in the region.

After 15-day training, he was armed with a pistol and he and other six members were assigned to perform an organizing task in the region.

After disintegration of BCP, SSA assigned him as a member of Muse District Committee and he had to extort money and recruit in the region.

Since SSA returned to the legal fold, he had extorted money from the local people and recruited new members under the command of the No 3 Brigade Commander U Sai Mo. They made no benefit but caused a heavy burden to the people who were making an honest living in the region, he said.

No 11 Brigade of SSNA led by U Kan Na, No 19 Brigade led by U Gon Hkay and PSLA led by U Aik Mone unconditionally exchanged arms for peace this year. As he felt sympathy for the people, he broke away from SSA and exchanged arms for peace unconditionally, he added.

While he was assigned to SSA, he sent extortion money amounted to K over 20 million per year to leaders of SSA. They did not spend the money on regional development. While they were spending the extortion money on their luxury, members of SSA had a salary of only K 500 per month and had lived in poverty. As they were armed with weapons, people were living in constant fear of losing their lives. He knew that all Shan nationals felt intense loathing for the acts of SSA, he said.

During their armed struggle, they desired development of education, health, transportation, economy and social sectors in the region. However, the previous governments failed to implement the tasks. Therefore, they took up arms against successive governments. In the time of the present government, as part of regional development, schools, hospitals, roads and bridges have been built and electricity has been supplied in the region including villages. Then, it would be useless to engage in armed struggle and they exchanged arms for peace, he said.

Taking up arms, they extorted money from local people to be spent on regional development tasks. But, they failed to carry out the tasks, he said. They felt that while the government was striving for the regional development, they were a burden to the people, he added. Therefore, they made up their mind to exchange arms for peace. There was no pressure on them to unconditionally exchange arms for peace and the government did not force them to do so.

They realized that there would be no development in the region if they continued the armed struggle, extortion and recruitment, he said. It gave him a great pleasure to exchange arms for peace in conformity with the desires of the people. He pledged that they will participate in regional development tasks joining hands with the people.

YANGON, 24 July—The following is a translation of the speech delivered by commanding officer Khun Hsit Nyo of Battalion-103 of SSNA Brigade-6.

He said he was born in Wanhti Village in Laikha Township. He was not able to pursue education when he was young due to the insurgencies in the region, he said. In 1989 he, at the age of 23, was forced to join the MTA for its new recruitment, and had to attend a five-month training course in Homein, he added. Then he moved to Einainglon region in 1995 after operating in Lwelan region.

He said he, after returning to the legal fold in 1996, he served in the SSNA Brigade-6 as a commanding officer. Despite of his return to the legal fold, he said, he had to collect extortion money from local people and carry out new recruitment at the command of superiors of the SSNA. The SSNA members forcefully collected money from the people who had to struggle to make ends meet. He said he had to present the collected money that the people surrendered for fear of their weapons to the SSNA leaders. He said the local people were not giving money out of their goodwill, but they feared the weapons of SSNA members. So, by and by he said he realized his misdeeds and felt ashamed of himself.

He went on to say that the people were no longer forced to pay extortion money and the region had become peaceful owing to the unconditional exchange of arms for peace by U Kan Na and members of SSNA Brigade-11, U Gon Khay and members of Brigade-19 and U Aik Mone and members of PSLA. With peace and stability prevailing in the region, the government was able to build such facilities as schools, hospitals, roads and dams and factories. Now the people have witnessed the prosperity of the region.

During their armed struggle, he said, the SSNA members expected the development of economy, health, education and transport of the region. However, the previous governments failed to carry out the task. That was why they continued their armed struggle line with the wrong sense of racism and locality. In the time of the present government, they had witnessed fruits of development in the region. So, he said, they exchanged arms for peace after considering the wrong acts of their armed struggle.

The SSNA members, during their armed struggle, had to live on the extortion money collected from the local people. And they could not serve the interests of the region although they had in their mind the development work to be carried out. Khun Hsit Nyo said realizing that they were only a burden to the local people, they surrendered their arms to the State with a view to serving the interests of the people.

He said the people from whom they collected extortion money were none other than national brethren, and they gradually felt ashamed of what they did. Therefore, the members made up their mind to exchange arms for peace in accord with the wishes of the people. He added that their decision was made of their own accord, no one urged them to do so. No one will like those who pick up armed struggle line with a wrong way of thinking. The mass of people who can distinguish between right and wrong accorded warm welcome to the members of SSNA who exchanged arms for peace. He said he thanked the people very much for their warm welcome.

He said they exchanged arms for peace not because of the pressure of the State but because of their own desire after realizing the goodwill of the government and the Tatmadaw. It is not wrong to say that the government always welcomes the eternal peace and the ceremonies for exchange of arms for peace and is willing to implement development tasks with added momentum. That was why they, realizing the prevailing conditions with clear conscience, exchanged arms for peace.

He expressed thanks to the local people who accorded warm welcome and the government, which rendered all necessary assistance. All in all, he said, all the members of the brigade is committed to the active participation of the development drive of the State in cooperation with national people.