Shan State Army - South (SSA-S) (Myanmar), GROUPS - ASIA - ACTIVE

Group Formation
The original Shan State Army (SSA) was formed in 1964. The group pursued an armed rebellion against the ruling military junta until 1989, when the collapse of its Chinese-backed ally, the Communist Party of Burma (CPB), removed its main source of arms and ammunition. The SSA was left with little choice but to make peace with the government, however a small number of SSA cadres led by Sao Sai Lek - the SSA's commander since 1983 - remained active in the field, joining the rival Mong Tai Army (MTA). The MTA, led by Khun Sa, was an increasingly powerful coalition of Shan militant groups, including the Shan United Revolutionary Army (SURA) led by Moh Heng, Khun Sa's own Shanland United Army (SUA), and dissident elements of the SSA which had left the group in 1983. Sao Sai Lek died in January 1995, and a year later Khun Sa surrendered to the government and disbanded the MTA. However, a faction of former SURA fighters led by Yawd Serk refused to surrender and resurrected the SURA, before merging with other scattered Shan forces under the Shan State Army (SSA) name. Active on the southern border with Thailand, this 'new' SSA became known as the Shan State Army - South (SSA-S) to distinguish it from the original SSA, which was still at peace with the government, and which became known as the Shan State Army - North (SSA-N). However, in late May 2011 Serk announced that the SSA-S had merged with the SSA-N

Aims and Objectives
The objective of the SSA-S is to establish an autonomous Shan State within a federated Union of Myanmar. It seeks to use force to coerce the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) - the military junta that rules Myanmar - into complying with this demand. Various rebel groups representing the ethnic Shan people of northeastern Myanmar have fought for this objective since 1958, when the Burmese government reneged on a promise to allow the Shan to secede from the Union of Burma if, after its first ten years of independence, they were dissatisfied with the Union. Shan militancy escalated further following the 1962 military coup, when the country's federal constitution was abolished.

The complete article appears in the following publication:
Publication Title	Jane's World Insurgency and Terrorism
Publication date	Mar 21, 2012
Section	GROUPS - ASIA - ACTIVE
Publication synopsis	Jane's World Insurgency and Terrorism profiles every significant terrorist and insurgent movement worldwide with 'at-a-glance' summaries of threat levels, status, founding date, aims and objectives, and leadership. In-depth threat analyses focus on recent attacks, claims of responsibility, targeting and tactics, personnel and recruitment, operational preparedness and limiting factors. The portfolio of profiles for active groups is deepened as new groups emerge to provide the greatest level of coverage and analysis possible. Regular updates of the most active groups allow you to keep track of terrorist activity globally and ensure that notable shifts in doctrine, leadership and capabilities are captured.
In addition to a detailed threat assessment, group profiles also address	Sources of funding Alliances Sources of weapons Organisation and command structure Political and religious affiliation Propaganda techniques Leader biographies Overview of campaign
Different sections provide in-depth detail covering	Groups - Africa - Active Groups - Africa - Dormant Groups - Americas - Active Groups - Americas - Dormant Groups - Asia - Active Groups - Asia - Dormant Groups - Europe - Active Groups - Europe - Dormant Groups - International - Active Groups - Middle East - Active Groups - Middle East - Dormant

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