SSA South wants SSA North to evacuate from its main base

Lt-Gen Yawdserk and Maj Gen Pang Fa

Shan State Army (SSA) South leaders say the SSA North should abandon its besieged HQ Wanhai as soon as possible before it is too late.

According to reports from both rebel and civilian sources, the Burma Army is tightening its cordon around Wanhai, where the 4 townships, Kehsi, Monghsu, Tangyan and Mongyai meet. “It has however opened up an outlet for its 300 defenders to escape to the south,” said a senior SSA South commander.

Sun Tzu, the ancient Chinese philosopher consults in his classic The Art of War: When you surround an army, leave an outlet free. This does not mean the enemy is to be allowed to escape. The object is to make him believe that there is a road to safety, and thus prevent his fighting with the courage of despair.


He also said: Confront your troops with annihilation, and they will survive; plunge them into a deadly situation and they will then live.

The SSA North has been fighting since it was attacked on 13 March. Its leader Maj Gen Pang Fa has already moved out of Wanhai, but his second-in-command Col Khaymin still remains there.

One disadvantage of the SSA North, according to the SSA South, is that it is fighting in the hinterland, away from the international borders where news, both verbal and visual, could reach the outside world promptly. “We have been fighting for more than 3 months, but few people know what’s happening here,” complained an SSA North officer. “On the other hand, the Kachins have only started to fight (on 8 June), but the whole world is talking about it.”

In this kind of situation, the enemy can do whatever it likes to both the local people and the rebels, according to the SSA South. “They may read the news, but they’ll be still none the wiser to take actions,” said one of its commanders.

The SSA South and the SSA North declared on 21 May to form a merger. “We are still working on it, said Lt-Gen Yawdserk, “In the meantime, we are doing what we can to help them.”

When Yen-an, the Communist Party of Burma (CPC)’s wartime capital, was attacked by the Kuomintang forces, Mao Zedong was quoted as saying: If we are concerned about the territory but not for the people, we will lose both. But, on the contrary, if we are concerned about the people and not for the territory, both will be won back.

Source:http://shanland.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3829:ssa-south-wants-ssa-north-to-evacuate-from-its-main-base&catid=86:war&Itemid=284