SSA (North) won’t attend SPDC’s ‘National Convention’

DVB ( 29 October 2003 )

A leader of Shan State Army (North) who signed the ceasefire agreements with the SPDC has said on 27 October that the organisation would not be attending the SPDC-organised national convention if the delegates are not allowed to discuss matters openly.

Colonel Kan Yord, the General Secretary of SSA (North) said that a meeting was held at Wa’s HQs in Pangsang among UWSA (United Wa State Army), SSA and Democratic National Army leaders from 13 to 15 October to discuss the SPDC’s road map plan and national convention. It is the first time the organisations meet to discuss the road map plan, he confirmed.

He also added that the SPDC has not offered the SSA (North) to attend the meeting. The SSA (North) welcomes the road map plan in terms of general policy if it is working towards building a democratic Burma and the good of ethnic groups but Colonel Kan Yord insisted that the SPDC needs to make some amendments to the existing ways of the previous ‘national convention’.