The Shan are one of the largest unreached people groups in Southeast Asia, spanning the golden triangle region of Northern Thailand, Burma, Southwest China, and Laos. They are a race related to the Thai and Lao, as part of the larger Tai peoples. The majority of the Shan people live in Shan State in Burma (Myanmar), where they are the largest minority group, making up 10% of the population. The Burmese military government tries to control and crush dissension among ethnic minorities, and the Shan have been a primary target. They have experienced massive destruction of property and life, causing an exodus of Shan refugees into Thailand, where they are not given refugee status by the Thai government. As a result, they have few if any rights, and are left with limited opportunities. Many work as hired day laborers or in dangerous jobs such as construction, agriculture, and factories. Many young Shan girls are trafficked across the border into prostitution and end up with AIDS. The Shan are truly a nation (people group) without a country.
The Shan are traditionally strong Buddhists and animists. The Shan (Thai-Yai) of Thailand and Burma are among the least-reached people groups according to Joshua Project. YWAM Frontier Missions is currently pioneering a ministry targeting Shan migrant workers in and around the city of Chiang Mai. People tend to move often, making it very hard to have any kind of stable or sustainable ministry here. 
Their lives are full of struggle and problems, but we truly believe that God’s desire is to see the Shan to know and love Him. Currently many Shan perceive Christianity as a foreign religion, and those who believe are often ostracized and persecuted by their communities. This prevents them from leading others to Christ and therefore a movement. We are developing a contextualized form of outreach (meaning presenting the gospel and forming churches in a way that is appropriate to their worldview and culture) with the desire to see a church planting movement take off. We seek to discover keys in their worldview which speak deeply to the Shan heart.
The goal of our new team is to see the Kingdom of God established among the Shan people, through forming multiplying house churches who demonstrate God’s love in all areas of life.
The focus is on evangelism and training with the goal that they will reach out to their own people group, planting reproducing house fellowships in Thailand and Shan State. We are looking for more team members, so consider doing a Shan Internship and joining an exciting pioneering ministry!
Get involved in praying for the Shan! Download a free Shan Prayer Guide, and commit to praying for the Shan people.
YWAM Shan Ministries
P.O. Box 12
Mae Ping
Chiang Mai 50301
Thailand
