In April, Myanmar Post and Telecommunication (MPT) unveiled a 1,500 Kyat (less than $ 2) worth CDMA mobile SIM to the public in the country and has reached the countryside recently but the costs has risen many folds, according to local news sources.

Loi Taileng — 19 May 2012 was the last time the Shan State Army (SSA) South, officially the Restoration council of Shan State /Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) and Naypyitaw’s Union Peacemaking Work Committee (UPWC) met in Kengtung to sign a 12 point union level agreement.

On 3 May, a unit of Burma Army while searching for their men inside the Restoration Council of Shan State / Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) base, torched it to ashes next day, resulting in anger by Shan troops under the command of Task Force 701 based in the Nam Mao (Shweli) valley region, according to local news sources.

A Burma Army patrol had recently trespassed on the United Wa State Army (UWSA) controlled area in Eastern Shan State, according to the local news sources.

“The patrol from Mongkhark based Infantry Battalion (IB) 281 crossed the Nam Lwe and trespassed on our 468th Brigade area. We had gone to intercept them as soon as we were informed, but they had already escaped across the river. We don’t know why they came,” a commander from the UWSA said.

The recent report that said Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SAA) seized 4 Burmese people who were selling photos around along the Shweli River bank in Muse District; Northern Shan State is the government’s plan to incite racism, according to a Shan local militia commander.

The United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) did not take part in the decision of the Nippon Foundation, the Japanese philanthropic organization, to issue warning to the Shan State Army (SSA) ‘South’ to suspend its humanitarian aid assistance if the group failed to participate in the UNFC activities, said the grouping at a meeting in Chiangmai on 1 May.

Washington, D.C.-- Acting to extend Burma's current national emergency status classification in the United States, President Barack Obama filed a notice indicating that the status, originally declared on May 20, 1997, is to continue, according to a letter released by the Office of the United States Press Secretary Thursday afternoon. The national emergency with respect to Burma was set to end on May 20th without an extension. The emergency status extension for Burma continues a ban on investment and restrictions on financial transactions with Burmese military, according to a statement published by the U.S. Campaign for Burma Thursday via Facebook.

Displaced People Assistance Committee, Tangyan Township, Northern Shan State said that it would build shelters for refugees.

“We will build shelters at Wan Wiang quarter, Ward (5) at the former Mong Kao bus station. We will build them in barracks form but they have to use toilets and kitchens together. We estimated that we would aid 70 households. Some of them will be living with their relatives. For them we supported the construction of huts. The committee has already built 4 huts for the rest and those huts include kitchens and toilets. The cost for one hut is about 400,000 kyat ($450),” an aid worker for refugees, Sai Kher, told SHAN.