The Myanmar government has declared the Shan State Army-South (SSA-S), an anti-government Shan ethnic armed group, as terrorist organization, official newspaper The New Light of Myanmar reported Saturday.

The declaration, issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on Friday, also announced members of the SSA-S group led by Ywet Sit as terrorists.

The authorities charged the SSA-S of harming the state and the people by shooting innocent people to dead, detonating bombs, torching houses in villages and abducting villagers with the intention of creating public bloodshed and panic.

The SSA-S and three other anti-government organizations were declared as unlawful associations in August last year. The other three are the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB), the Federation of Trade Union - Burma (FTUB) and the All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF).

A total of 848 members of the SSA-S, led by deputy chief of staff and commander of 758 brigade Mein Sin made peace with the government on July 6 this year.

Meanwhile, the government also declared in April four unlawful associations -- Sein Win-led National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB), Hla Oo and Pyithit Nyunt Wai (alias) Maung Maung-led Federation of Trade Union - Burma (FTUB), Than Khe-led All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF) and Win Khet-led National League for Democracy-Liberated Area (NLD-LA), as terrorist organizations.

Source: Xinhua