¡¡¡¡BANGKOK, June 15 (Xinhuanet) -- Shan State Army (SSA) leader Yawd Serk urged the international community and the United Nations to help mediate talks between the Myanmar government and the ethnic minority groups, the Nation newspaper reported Saturday.

¡¡¡¡In an interview with the newspaper from his border outpost, Yawd Serk pointed to the United Nations' role in East Timor and other world trouble spots and said that the organization had a track record of being fair to the needs of indigenous people and was aware of the plight of Myanmar ethnic minorities.

¡¡¡¡Yawd Serk also revealed that the pro-Rangoon Wa army (USWA) hadstashed at least 300 million methamphetamine pills, and would shipthem into Thailand once border tensions ease.

¡¡¡¡The SSA, once a faction within the opium warlord Khun Sa's MongTai Army, refused to surrender to Rangoon and allied with other anti-Rangoon groups, including the Karenni National Progressive Party, the Karen National Union and a number of other small groups,to fight for autonomy.

¡¡¡¡The Myanmar launched attacks to SSA along Thai-Myanmar border this month and had turned down SSA's call for peace talks a few days ago. Enditem

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