The 4th meeting between Chulalongkorn University’s Institute of Asean Studies (IAS) and representatives of the Shan community in Thailand has reset the dates of the upcoming International Conference on Shan Studies (ICSS) at 15-17 October 2009, according to Shan community sources.

They had earlier fixed the dates tentatively for 4-days, 15-18 October.

•    The first two days, 15-16 October, will focus mainly on academic panels where more than 40 specialists are expected to join
•    The third and last day, 17 October, will be on performing arts where prominent Shan artists are expected to show up
•    Exhibitions on Shan history and culture will be on throughout the conference

“The Conference will be opened by one of the members of the Shan royal families in exile,” said Monthip Sirithaikhongchuen, one of the Shan organizers, politely refusing to say who. “We are supposed to keep it a mystery until the last minute.”

The Shan, a Burmese corruption of Siam or Sayam, a name given by the Mon-Khmers to the Tai-Kradai language familiy, are mainly located in Burma.

The Tai-Kradai language, according to Linguasphere 2000, is the 13th most spoken in the world. The Shans’ linguistic cousins include Ahom of India, Dai and Zhuang of China, Tai of Vietnam as well as Laotians and Thais.

“The fruits of the conferences will contribute greatly to the building up of our awareness and knowledge on various development in political and social history, arts, language, literature, performing arts, religions and beliefs,” reads the brochure circulated by the organizers.