The Union of Burma was created by the Agreement signed at the Panglong Conference in 1947. The Shan States, a historically and legally distinct land, is under the legal jurisdiction of Myanmar since the 1947 Union constitution, the main bond between Burma and the Shan States. This document was declared null and void by the Burmese military in 1962.
The Shan Democratic Union was formed on 16 November 1996 by expatriate Shans, with support of the Shan people. SDU has established the Tripod Brace Strategy or united action by popular organizations, armed movements and expatriates.