23 : Prodigal son makes his choice

 
Former Shan State Army (SSA) commander Col Moengzuen, who surrendered to the Burma Army last June and went underground again in August, has finally resigned himself to being a pro-junta militia leader, according to both rebel and ceasefire sources in southern Shan State.

 
Brig-Gen Thaung Aye, newly appointed Commander of Eastern Region Command, offers his hand to Col Moengzuen, 16 July 2006 (MRTV)

He had reportedly tried to negotiate with his erstwhile boss SSA "South" leader Col Yawdserk for reinstatement as Commander of 758^th Brigade in exchange for his return to the SSA fold. Loi Taileng, the SSA's main base on the Thai-Burma border, while promising amnesty, had however declined to consider the matter until after his return.
 
Moengzuen, 44, then withdrew to the Loi Zang mountain range between northern and southern Shan State for nearly 2 months before he reappeared in Laikha, 79 miles northern of Taunggyi, the state capital, said sources.
 
On 24 September, he and his 100 plus followers were picked up at Zalaikhum, some 15 miles east of Laikha, by the Burma Army trucks and taken to the Light Infantry Battalian 513 post. He was last seen a week ago south of Laikha at Wanparng and Napoy, where he was to take up his duties as an anti-insurgency militia commander.
 
"Good riddance," said an SSA officer to S.H.A.N. "Now we don’t have to worry ourselves sick over him anymore."
 
One year after he broke away from the SSA to throw in his weight with the Interim Shan Government (ISG) set up by a group of relative unknowns on 25 March 2005 and following a series of military offensives waged by the Burma Army against him, Moengzuen surrendered on 29 June. His 'return to the legal fold' was announced on 7 July and the formal surrender took place in Laikha on 16 July.