Last modified: 2002-06-28 by michael smuda
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![[Flag of the Shan State]](../images/m/mm-shan.gif)
Antonio Martins, 18 July 1999
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In an old (1993) magazine I found a picture with this flag: a three equal horz stripes yellow - green - red and a central white disc over them. The caption says:
"Gen. Khun Sa, the "king of opium" of the Golden Triangle, called "the prince of death". He is the chief of a private army of 20.000 people, the Mong Tay Army, which controls wide opium plantations in the eastern Burman jungle."
Giuseppe Bottasini, 1 April 1996
I think this flag is the flag of the Shan state. A version of this flag appears in [cra90], at the page of the flags of the peoples seeking independence.
Pascal Vagnat, 2 April 1996
In "Flaggenmitteilungen" no. 100 an article about the flag of Shanland:
Breadth 3 x length 1 1/2, radius of white disc 1, three horizontal stripes yellow-ochre/green/red in a ratio of 1/2 each.
Mark Sensen, 1 June 1996
I'd rephrase it to "flag ratio of 3:6, circle diameter of 2 and stripes height of 1"
Antonio Martins18 June 1999
In "Flaggenmitteilungen" no. 100 an article about the flag of Shanland:
Yellow ochre indicates that all of the nationalities of Shanland belong to the yellow race; also indicates that Shanland is a Buddhist country, the robe of the Buddhist monks has the same color. Green represents the evergreen landscape, warm climate and agriculture, the basis of Shan economy. Red symbolizes the courageous spirit of the Shan people. White disc stands for the moon, because the Shan people are so pure and gentle like the moon; they love peace and quiet, they wish to co-exist peacefully with all nationalities inside and outside of Shanland, and they do not provoke and attack the other peoples.
Mark Sensen, 1 June 1996
Yellow doesn't indicate the robe of the monk but the rice field (at the time of harvest).
Dr. Sai Mtwe Maung, 6 March 1998
From http://www.shanland.org/flag.htm with the revealing text:
"Starting from the center, the white circle illustrates the moon, for that we are so pure and peace-loving people. Red stripe is for bravery and courage, Green represents our mysterious evergreen mountain plateaus and agriculture while Yellow sympolizes the color of Buddhism for us we are mostly devout Buddhist."
Jarig Bakker19 July 1999
Editor'e note: while http://www.shanland.org is still good as of 16 October 2001, http://www.shanland.org/flag.htm is no longer valid.![[Flag of the Shan Army]](../images/m/mm-shan1.gif)
Jaume Ollé, 13 January 1997
Some time ago I posted a flag of the Shan, but not attribution of the group or use. Now I redraw this flag according specifications. The flag is used by the United Army of the Shan Country. Was designed by the general Chao Khun Sa, leader of the Peoples Army of the Shan Land. Was hoisted first time 7 February 1962. The attach is include in separated message according the request of Antonio Martins.
Jaume Ollé, 13 January 1997
156. "Shan State (Shanland United Army, Union of Shanland Republics, Shans), war flag - Burma." [eun]
"The Shan State Army (S.S.A.) was founded in the 60's by several rebel groups and was funded by taxes on drug. In May 1973, the Burmese governemnent signed with the USA (which provided helicopteres) an agreement and began a campaign against poppy cultivation and shan nationalists who took benefit of it. The Chinese-Shan Khun Sa (alias Shan Shi-fu), an opium traficant, created between 1965 and 1969 a militia to help the government and established for himself the Shan United Army (S.U.A.). He joined in 1985, another adventurer named Mo Heing (alias Korn Jerng). This one had left the S.U.A. to create his own organization, the Shan United Revolutionary Army (S.U.R.A.) which, in 1982, had merged with a scission of the Shan State Army (S.S.A.) to form the Tai Revolutionary Army (T.R.A.). Merging of S.U.A. and T.R.A. created the Muang Thai Army, commanded by Khun Sa, and the United Shan State Council, presided by his uncle Khun Saeng and later by Mo Heing, who died in July 1991 and was replaced by Khun Sa. This so-called shan nationalist movement is nothing but a drug traffic organization. The Shan United Army was constituted in 1993 by ca. 8,000 men , including a lot of children. In January 1996, the Burmese army seized Ho Mong, the headquarters of Khun Sa." [eun] Similar to the flag above, but with proportion 2:3. Shan State has a distinct flag.Ivan Sache, 16 September 1999
Shan Democratic Union
Jorge Candeias, 2 August 1999
From http://www.shanland.org/SDU/sdu_frame.htm, the home page of the Shan Democratic Union, with a logo which should be a flag.
Jarig Bakker, 2 May 1999.
Turned into a FOTW-standard GIF. I touched up everything but the text in the scroll.
Jorge Candeias, 2 August 1999.
There is not much more to it than the logo. The SDU was founded abroad in 1996 and wants an independent Shanland, with a better life of everybody. I guess the logo was made some time ago by an enthusiastic member, who since left to do some mathematics, as usually happens. they use the Shan flag on their homepage, so their logo wouldn't be a very "official" flag (if at all...)"
Jarig Bakker, 2 August 1999
Some years ago I saw on TV a documentary about the opium triangle. This way several Shan flags were made known to me: Shan national flag; the flag of the Shan State United Army; the flag of the Shan State United Party; and one of another party or army that was unidentified until close to three years or so. More than two years ago I found in the web the logo that you posted or similar, and I identified the panther in the loga as the same as the one in the unidentified flag. I assume then that the flag that I saw was the one of the Shan democratic Union or their predecessor. The flag was red with white panther (1/3) in center and flew in a higher shaft in a military guerrilla headquarters in the jungle.
Jaume Ollé, 8 August 1999.
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