The Shan Herald Agency for News is a private, nonprofit organization which attempts to fill the information void and shed light on the current situation in
Shan State
Shan State (, ; , ) is a administrative divisions of Myanmar, state of Myanmar. Shan State borders China (Yunnan) to the north, Laos (Louang Namtha Province, Louang Namtha and Bokeo Provinces) to the east, and Thailand (Chiang Rai Province, Chia ...
in
Burma
Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...
, where the media is closely controlled and censored.
Originally established in Shan State in 1991, the ''Shan Herald Agency for News'' was moved to
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai, sometimes written as Chiengmai or Chiangmai, is the largest city in northern Thailand, the capital of Chiang Mai province and the List of municipalities in Thailand#Largest cities by urban population, second largest city in Thailan ...
,
Thailand
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
in 1996 where it was better able to maintain its independence from armed political factions operating in Shan State.
Aims and Activities
Aims
* To provide accurate and reliable information to the Burmese, Shan, Thai and the international community about political, social and economic developments in Shan State and Burma, and about the efforts of pro-democracy, student, ethnic and labor organizations to promote peace and democracy in Burma.
* To promote increased understanding among Shan of human rights, democracy, federalism, and ethnic rights.
* To educate the
Shan people
The Shan people (, , or , ), also known as the Tai Long (တႆးလူင်, ) or Tai 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, but also inhabi ...
about the cultural, historical and linguistic heritage of Shan State.
Activities
The agency regularly receives news and photographs from within Shan State thanks to a network of supporters resident there. S.H.A.N. also dispatches field reporters to cover specific issues when conditions permit, as well as interviewing people from Shan State when they arrive at the Thai-Burma and China-Burma borders. In addition, given the proximity to Shan State, S.H.A.N. is able to monitor the military junta's radio broadcasts.
Through the publication of its monthly newspaper ''Independence'', its website and email information service, S.H.A.N. provides one of the few sources of news about events occurring in Shan State. Thanks to its publication in Shan, Burmese, English and Thai, it is not only a valuable resource for the Shan community in Burma, but also for the Shan exile community in Thailand and for Burma-watchers in the international community.
S.H.A.N. prints 3,000 copies of its newspaper each month, distributing them through a network of activists along the Thai-Burma and China-Burma borders, as well as being dispatched directly to Shan State and distributed at Shan temples in Thailand. It is also sent out to international NGOs and other interested parties abroad.
See also
*
Shan Women's Action Network
The Shan Women's Action Network (: abbreviated SWAN) is an organisation of Shan people, Shan women active in Shan State and Thailand, working to attain gender equality and achieve justice for Shan women in the struggle for social and political c ...
*
Human rights in Burma
Human rights in Myanmar under its military regime have long been regarded as among the worst in the world. In 2022, Freedom House rated Myanmar’s human rights at 9 out of 100 (not free).
Overview
International human rights organisations i ...
References
* https://shannews.org
* https://burmese.shannews.org
* https://english.shannews.org
External links
Arakan Post* {{usurped,
Kaowao News Group}
News agencies based in Thailand
Shan State