Tai-Nation. Org
Tai-Nation.Org is a non-profit Shan/Tai media organization, and its responsibility is to publish news and information on violations of human rights against Tai/Shan people in Shan State.  We also wish to enlighten Shan/Tai people from the international media using English and Shan/Tai languages.  This website is owned by all the members of Shan National for Democracy (Japan) which was established in 2003 for the purpose of campaigning for freedom, democracy and human rights in the Shan State of Burma/Myanmar.  Although it is financed by a particular political group, this website aims to be an independent media and it is not affiliated to any political or armed group.  The purpose of this website is to be open to all and to promote democracy, human rights, and self-determination of all Tai/Shan people. 

Why Tai Nation
Tai people have many different subgroups namely, Tai Nue (Northern or Chinese Shan), Tai Lam (Black Shan of Laos, Vietnam), Tai Sa (in China), Tai Mao (living along the China/Shan State border), Tai Khun, Tai Sipson Panna (Eastern  Shan State), Tai Kham Ti (Northern Shan State, Kachin State), Tai Ahom (Assam, India) Tai Lue (Lanna, Thailand), Tai Long (Thailand, Central Shan State), Tai Leng (Kachin, Shan State border), Tai Loi (Mountain Shan/Hill Shan), Tai Lai.  All Tai/Shan people call themselves “Tai’ and not as members of the different subgroups.  Identifying themselves separately only serves to classify  them as a people.

Besides these subgroups of Tai, there are other ethnic groups that have lived peacefully with Tai/ Shan people without any problem before Shan State became a State of Burma.  They are Ta-ang (Palaung), Pa-O,  Daung Yoe, Kachin, Dai Nawng (Yawnghwe) or in Burmese Intha, Danu (in states bordered or close to Burma proper), Lisu, Lahu, Wa, Kaw, Padaung, and Black Karen (in the Namsang and Loilem townships).  These people have lived peaceably together for many centuries.  Our purpose of using the name “Tai Nation” is to cover all these groups that belong to Tai/Shan peoples through sharing common language, culture and tradition, and the population and geographical location of Shan States as a nation.

Our Website Structure
Organization of our website structure is based on the four main sections, editorial section, news section, articles section, and forum section.  Our readers are invited to participate in making their contributions to our articles and forum sections.  We expect to have more sections with the next update of our website.

News Section
This section focuses on the information of the actual events and human rights violations taking place in Shan State and the whole of Burma which are denied access to international media.  The sufferings of migrant workers in Thailand and the oppressed in Shan state are the main emphasis of our news.  Our sources are based on the people who are the immediate victims of human rights violations committed by the SPDC troops in Shan State and the refugees on the China-Burma border and Thai-Burma borders.  We also publish the news of the other ethnic groups who face the same plight as Tai (Shan) people in Burma/Myanmar.

Articles Section
Articles are the contributions made by our intellectuals both inside and outside Shan State.  Our readers are invited to contribute their ideas and thinking about the struggle for freedom for our people who are suffering under the SPDC junta in Burma.  We have editors for English and Tai (Shan) language.  Tai Nation will review every article for suitability of publication on our website.

Forum Section
All our readers are invited to participate in our forum and share their ideas and contributions, however large or small.  Contributions to the forum will also be reviewed prior to publication on the website.  Our purpose of controlling and editing this forum is to avoid misunderstandings that lead to disunity among the ethnic groups.

Mission Statement
To provide accurate and reliable information to Tai (Shan) and other ethnic groups in Burma/Myanmar.
To provide a free media for the Tai/Shan intellectuals to make available their contributions for Tai people inside Shan State and for the international community to understand the real information and political crisis and possible solutions for Burma.

• To exchange ideas and views freely regarding the self-determination of Tai people and other ethnic groups.
• To provide a place for Tai people inside and outside Shan State to express their feelings and open their heart with the purpose of freedom of expression.
• To reveal concealed information about actual events in Burma and Shan State to the international community – information that the government of Burma don’t want the world to hear.
• To promote freedom of speech and freedom of expression for the future Tai generations.
• To provide information from the international media to Tai people inside Burma.
  

We hope that our visitors will make helpful suggestions and constructive criticisms to our editors both in English and Tai.  All the material in this website is prepared or edited by Sai Merngmai and Sai Khur Lao.  If our visitors find anything they believe is a mistake or incorrect, then please let us know and we will correct it.  With your help we will make Tai-Nation.Org a great website.