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33-584: The Ruak originates within the hills of the Daen Lao Range , Shan State ( Burma ), and becomes the boundary river between Thailand and Burma at the confluence with the Mae Sai River near the northernmost point of Thailand. It then meanders eastwards until it empties into the Mekong River at Ban Sop Ruak , Tambon Wiang, Chiang Saen District , Chiang Rai Province . The boundary section of

66-687: A stupa in Mongton . Until the 1990s one of the main crops at elevations above 1,000 m was opium . On the side of the range controlled by the Thai government, construction of roads reaching remote areas and increasingly efficient policing ensured a measure of success of the opium replacement programs in recent years. Owing to the unrest in Burma, the National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA) and other groups sought refuge and

99-477: A base for their insurgency in these mountains. Fighting and the ensuing persecution by the Tatmadaw have caused part of the original population to flee. Some refugee camps have been established for cross-border refugees on the Thai side of the range. Some Kayah and Karen communities, like the "long-necked Karen", are regularly visited by organized tourist groups. The Ang Khang Royal Agricultural Station

132-481: A prominence of 1,596 m, one of the ultra prominent peaks of Southeast Asia . On the Thai side the highest point is 2,285 m Doi Pha Hom Pok . Doi Chiang Dao (2,175 m), Doi Puk Phakka (1,794 m), Doi Nang Non , a karstic formation in Chiang Rai Province , Doi Tung , Doi Ang Khang and Doi Wao , where Wat Phra That Doi Wao  [ th ] is located, as well as the mountains surrounding

165-668: Is a mountain range of the Shan Hills in eastern Burma and northern Thailand . Most of the range is in Shan State , with its northern limit close to the border with China , and runs southwards across the Thai border, at the northern end of Thailand. Geologically in the Daen Lao Range, as in the other southern subranges of the Shan Hills, layers of alluvium are superimposed on hard rock. The range extends east of

198-695: Is an adaptation of the Mon–Burmese script via the Burmese alphabet . However, only a few Shan can read and write in their own language. Shan state is the most illiterate state with over a million illiterates in Myanmar due to lack of basic infrastructures and long ongoing civil war . The Shan are traditionally wet-rice cultivators, shopkeepers, and artisans . The Tai-Shan people are believed to have migrated from Yunnan in China . The Shan are descendants of

231-799: Is in the mountains of the range. It was founded in 1969 by the King of Thailand and is notable for its temperate climate that allows the cultivation of flowers and fruits characteristic of cooler climates. In March 2011 there was a magnitude 5 earthquake in the Burmese side of the range with the epicenter north of Chiang Rai town. There were over 70 deaths and more than hundred wounded. Shan people The Shan people (Short name or simple name in Shan : တႆး , pronounced [taj˥] , Real name တႆးလူင် , IPA taj˥.loŋ˨˦ ; Burmese : ရှမ်းလူမျိုး , pronounced [ʃáɰ̃ lùmjó] ), also known as

264-633: The Irrawaddy valley. Various Shan states fought Ava for the control of Upper Burma . The states of Monyhin (Mong Yang) and Mogaung were the strongest of the Shan States. Monhyin-led Confederation of Shan States defeated Ava in 1527, and ruled all of Upper Burma until 1555. The Burmese king Bayinnaung conquered all of the Shan states in 1557. Although the Shan states would become a tributary to Irrawaddy valley based Burmese kingdoms from then on,

297-954: The Salween until almost reaching the Golden Triangle area, separating the Salween watershed from the Mekong watershed. At its southern end the Thanon Thong Chai Range (เทือกเขาถนนธงชัย) subrange stretches further southwards into Thailand between the Sai River in the east and the Pai River in the west; the latter separating the Daen Lao from the Thanon Thong Chai Range. Some geographers include

330-754: The Shan State Army/Special Region 3 and Shan State Army/Restoration Council of Shan State . In 2005 the Shan State National Army (SSNA) was effectively abolished after its surrender to the Burmese government. Some SSNA units joined the SSA/RCSS, which has yet to sign any agreements, and is still engaged in guerrilla warfare against the Burmese Army . During conflicts, Shan civilians are often burned out of their villages and forced to flee into Thailand. Some of

363-702: The Shan State War Council (SSWC) and the Shan State Army (SSA) , becoming chair of the SSWC, and taking the Shan rebellion that started in 1958 to a new phase. Sao Nang Hearn Kham died on 17 January 2003 in exile in Canada at the age of 86. Prince Hso Khan Pha (sometimes written as Surkhanfa in Thai ), son of Sao Nang Hearn Kham of Yawnghwe lived in exile in Canada . He was campaigning for

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396-625: The Tai Long or Thai Yai , are a Tai ethnic group of Southeast Asia . The Shan are the biggest minority of Burma ( Myanmar ) and primarily live in the Shan State of this country, but also inhabit parts of Mandalay Region , Kachin State , Kayah State , Sagaing Region and Kayin State , and in adjacent regions of China ( Dai people ), Laos , Assam and Meghalaya ( Ahom people ), Cambodia ( Kula people ), Vietnam and Thailand . Though no reliable census has been taken in Burma since 1935,

429-617: The 10th century CE. The Shan kingdom of Mong Mao (Muang Mao) existed as early as the 10th century CE but became a Burmese vassal state during the reign of King Anawrahta of Pagan (1044–1077). After the Pagan Kingdom fell to the Mongols in 1287, the Shan chiefs quickly gained power throughout central Burma, and founded: Many Ava and Pegu kings of Burmese history between the 13th–16th centuries were of (partial) Shan descent. The kings of Ava fought kings of Pegu for control of

462-614: The British commanders acknowledged. In the latter half of the 19th century Shan people migrated into Northern Thailand reaching Phrae Province . The Shan population in Thailand is concentrated mainly in Chiang Rai , Chiang Mai , Mae Hong Son , Mae Sariang , Mae Sai and Lampang , where there are groups which settled long ago and built their own communities and temples. Shan people are known as "Tai Yai" in north Thailand, where

495-476: The Burmese Army indefinitely, or enslaved to do road work for a number of months—with no wages and little food. The horrific conditions inside Burma have led to a massive exodus of young Shan males to neighbouring Thailand, where they are not given refugee status. Shan people in Thailand often work as undocumented labourers. Males typically find low-paid work in construction, while many Shan females fall in

528-543: The Burmese regime to leave the Federated Shan States and return to their own country, to respect the traditional culture and indigenous lands of the Shan people. He worked with the interim Shan Government, with Shan exiles abroad, and the Burmese regime to regain his country. Opinion has been voiced in the Shan State, in neighboring Thailand , and to some extent in distant exile communities, in favor of

561-670: The Shan Saophas retained a large degree of autonomy. Throughout the Burmese feudal era, Shan states supplied much manpower in the service of Burmese kings. Without Shan manpower, it would have been harder for the Burmans alone to achieve their victories in Lower Burma , Siam , and elsewhere. Shans were a major part of Burmese forces in the First Anglo-Burmese War of 1824–1826, and fought valiantly—a fact even

594-860: The Shan are called Tai Yai (ไทใหญ่, lit.   ' Great Tai ' ) or Ngiao ( Thai : เงี้ยว ) in Tai yuan language . The Shan also have a number of exonyms in other minority languages, including Pa'O : ဖြဝ်ꩻ, Western Pwo Karen : ၥဲၫ့, and Mon သေံဇၞော် listen ( seṃ jnok) . The major groups of Shan people are: The speakers of Shan, Lue, Khun and Nua languages form the majority of Dai nationality in China . There are various ethnic groups designated as Tai throughout Shan State , Northern Sagaing Division and Kachin State . Some of these groups in fact speak Tibeto-Burman and Mon-Khmer and Assamese language , although they are assimilated into Shan society. The majority of Shan are Theravada Buddhists , and Tai folk religion . The Shan constitute one of

627-467: The Shan are estimated to number 4–6 million, with CIA Factbook giving an estimate of five million spread throughout Myanmar which is about 10% of the overall Burmese population. 'Shan' is a generic term for all Tai-speaking peoples within Myanmar (Burma). The capital of Shan State is Taunggyi , the fifth-largest city in Myanmar with about 390,000 people. Other major cities include Thibaw (Hsipaw), Lashio , Kengtung and Tachileik . The Shan use

660-469: The Thanon Thong Chai Range subrange as part of the Daen Lao Range. The Khun Tan Range also extends southwards from the Daen Lao Range, parallel to the Thanon Thong Chai mountains, but it differs geologically and structurally from the latter. The western end of the range is not clearly defined. Elevations range between 400 and 2,500 m. The highest point is 2,563 m Loi Pangnao in Burma, with

693-682: The arrest of Sao Shwe Thaik of Yawnghwe in the Burmese coup d'état in March 1962 by the Revolutionary Council headed by General Ne Win , his wife Sao Nang Hearn Kham fled with her family to Thailand in April 1962 and Sao Shwe Thaik died in prison in November the same year. In exile, his wife took up the cause of the independence struggle of the Shan State . In 1964 Sao Nang Hearn Kham with her son Chao-Tzang Yawnghwe helped to form

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726-545: The border to Thailand, caused an evacuation of the surviving members across the Mekong River to Laos . This evacuation was aided by members of the Shan State Army, and in turn brought tighter measures restricting foreign aid in the area as violence increased. Whether or not there is an ongoing conflict, the Shan are subject to depredations by the Burmese regime; in particular, young men may be conscripted into

759-472: The declaration, the Burmese Army is rumoured to have used it as a reason to crack down on Shan civilians. Shan people have reported an increase in restrictions on their movements and an escalation in Burmese Army raids on Shan villages. The October 2015 Burmese military offensive in Central Shan State has displaced thousands of Shan people, as well as Palaung , Lisu and Lahu people , causing

792-477: The endonym Tai (တႆး) in reference to themselves, which is also used in Chinese ( Chinese : 傣族 ; pinyin : Dǎizú ). Shan (ရှမ်း) is an exonym from the Burmese language ; the term itself was historically spelt သျှမ်း ( MLCTS : hsyam: ), and is derived from the term Siam , the former name of Thailand. The term has been borrowed into Chinese ( Chinese : 掸族 ; pinyin : Shànzú ). In Thai ,

825-948: The four main Buddhist ethnic groups in Burma; the others are the Bamar , the Mon and the Rakhine . The Mon were the main source of early Shan Buddhism and Shan scripts . Most Shan speak the Shan language and are bilingual in Burmese . The Shan language, spoken by about 5 or 6 million, is closely related to Thai and Lao , and is part of the family of Tai languages . It is spoken in Shan State , some parts of Kachin State , some parts of Sagaing Division in Burma, parts of Yunnan , and in parts of northwestern Thailand, including Mae Hong Son Province and Chiang Mai Province . The two major dialects differ in number of tones : Hsenwi Shan has six tones, while Mongnai Shan has five. The Shan alphabet

858-470: The goal of "total independence for the Shan State." This came to a head when, in May 2005, Shan elders in exile declared the independence of the Federated Shan States . The declaration of independence was rejected by most other ethnic minority groups, many Shan living inside Burma, and the country's leading opposition party, Aung San Suu Kyi 's National League for Democracy . Despite the domestic opposition to

891-597: The hands of human trafficking gangs and end up in the prostitution business or bride trafficking. Despite the hardships, Shan people in Thailand are conscious of their culture and seek occasions to gather in cultural events. Although the Government of Burma does not recognise Wa State , the Burmese military has frequently used the United Wa State Army (UWSA) as an ally for the purpose of fighting against Shan nationalist militia groups. Following

924-766: The majority Bamar leadership at the Panglong Conference , and agreed to gain independence from Britain as part of Union of Burma . The Shan states were given the option to secede after 10 years of independence. The Shan states became Shan State in 1948 as part of the newly independent Burma. General Ne Win 's coup d'état overthrew the democratically elected government in 1962, and abolished Shan saopha system. A Shan independence movement has been active and engaged in armed struggle, leading to intermittent civil war within Burma for decades. Currently two main Shan armed insurgent forces operate within Shan State:

957-545: The oldest branch of the Tai-Shan, known as Tai Luang ('Great Tai') or Tai Yai ('Big Tai'). The Tai-Shan who migrated to the south and now inhabit modern-day Laos and Thailand are known as Tai Noi (or Tai Nyai ), while those in parts of northern Thailand and Laos are commonly known as Tai Noi ('Little Tai' – Lao spoken) The Shan have inhabited the Shan Plateau and other parts of modern-day Burma as far back as

990-406: The river is 26.75 kilometres (16.62 mi) long. This article related to a river in Thailand is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to a river in Myanmar is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Daen Lao Range The Daen Lao Range ( Thai : ทิวเขาแดนลาว , pronounced [tʰīw kʰǎw dɛ̄ːn lāːw] ; Burmese : Loi La )

1023-511: The village of Santikhiri ( Doi Mae Salong ) are also part of this range. Historically the area has been sparsely populated. Only some hill tribes such as the Wa , Akha , Yao , Lahu , and the Lisu people lived in scattered small villages across the range. Many Shan people believe King Naresuan was cremated in the Daen Lao Range, in the southern part of Shan State , and his ashes interred in

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1056-552: The word Shan is very seldom used to refer to them. After the Third Anglo-Burmese War in 1885, the British gained control of the Shan states. Under the British colonial administration, the Shan principalities were administered separately as British protectorates with limited monarchical powers invested in the Shan Saophas . After World War II , the Shan and other ethnic minority leaders negotiated with

1089-690: The worst fighting in recent times occurred in 2002 when the Burmese army shelled the Thai border town of Mae Sai , south of Tachileik , in an attempt to capture members of the SSA 's Southern Faction who had fled across the Nam Ruak . While in July of that same year, in the Shan Township of Mong Yawng , the killing of a member of an NGO by the Burmese Tatmadaw , and the subsequent closure of

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