In the past 10 years, a ceasefire was achieved with many of the ethnic armed groups across the country. The town is famous for its ruby crystals, with a distinctive deep violet core and a red rim.įor decades, the Shan State Army (SSA) has been fighting for independence from Myanmar, and exerting control over the mining areas is only one of the facets of the conflict. “My family relieved me by paying money,” recalls Maung, who back then dwelt in the hills of the remote Mong Hsu in Shan state. On one chilly morning, the rebels of the Shan ethnic group demanded that one of their sons join the ranks of the insurgent group. Ten years ago, Maung’s family faced a difficult choice. In the upcoming parliamentary elections, the National League for Democracy (NLD) and its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, may pay the price for the failures to deliver on their democratic promises. In Myanmar, the hopes of ethnic groups for a better future remain overshadowed by conflicts that have smoldered for decades.

Peace in myanmar language