Shan State Army

This article is about the insurgent group that was active between 1964 and 1975. For the modern Shan State Army, see Shan State Army – North. For the modern splinter group, see Shan State Army – South.
Not to be confused with Shan United Revolutionary Army or Shan State National Army.

Shan State Army
ရှမ်းပြည်တပ်မတော်
LeadersSao Nang Hearn Kham
Dates of operation1964 (1964)-Current
HeadquartersShan State, Myanmar
IdeologyShan nationalism
Separatism
Shan independence
OpponentsState opponents
Battles and warsInternal conflict in Myanmar
Preceded by
Shan National United Front
Shan State Independence Army
Emblem based on the flag used later in uniforms of different Shan groups.

The Shan State Army (Burmese: ရှမ်းပြည်တပ်မတော်; abbreviated SSA) was one of the largest insurgent groups that fought government forces in Shan State, Myanmar (Burma). The SSA was founded in 1964 after the merging of two existing insurgent groups.

The SSA recruited and trained thousands of local Shan people to join their ranks. Although their initial purpose was to fight for autonomy in Shan State, their battle had extended to fighting against the Communist Party of Burma (CPB), Kuomintang soldiers sponsored by the CIA in Myanmar, and opium smugglers in Shan State. The SSA however, could not fulfill its goals, and in 1976 it dissolved. It would later become the basis for the Shan State Army - North and the Shan State Army - South, but the SSA was not directly linked to either group.