Shan United Revolutionary Army

Dates of operation1960 (1960)^[1]–1996 (1996)HeadquartersHomong, Shan StateActive regionsShan StateIdeologyPart of Mong Tai ArmyOpponents Union of Myanmar

• Tatmadaw

Battles and warsInternal conflict in Myanmar

The Shan United Revolutionary Army (Burmese: ရှမ်းပြည်နယ်တပ်ပေါင်းစုတော်လှန်ရေးတပ်မတော်; abbreviated SURA) or Tai Revolutionary Council (TRC) was a Shan insurgent group in Myanmar (Burma), led by Moh Heng.^[2]

History

The SURA was formed in the 1960s by Moh Heng, who earlier formed the Shan State Communist Party in 1956.^[3]

The SURA however took anti-communist position due to its close links with the KMT. In 1984, it merged with the anti-communist 2nd Brigade of the Shan State Army to form the Tai Revolutionary Council (TRC) when the 2nd Brigade headquarters was overrun by Khun Sa's Shan United Army (SUA).^[4]

In early 1985 its headquarters at Piang Luang came under pressure from the SUA as the latter sought to consolidate control over the border area.^[5] The TRC then ended its relationship the KMT, and allied itself with the SUA, to create the Mong Tai Army with its base of operations in Homong.^[6][7] In 1996 most of its soldiers disarmed, but a group of 800 soldiers were integrated into the newly formed Shan State Army - South by Yawd Serk.^{[citation needed]}

Further reading

• Trevor Wilson (ed.) Myanmar's Long Road to National Reconciliation, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2006, ISBN 978-981-230-363-9; 981-230-363-4

See also

• Mong Tai Army
• Opium production in Myanmar

References