The act of being ethnic Shan in Piang Luang is a concept which is continuously constructed. The Shan in Piang luang are capable of mobilizing various kinds of identity. They use peoples and events in order to conceptualize what it is to be a nation, and seek out identity through Shan language and culture, as well as through media productions in the form of print materials and songs which have political content. Some forms of identity have been blurred, an example of this being tattooing. Identity construction among Shan people in Piang Luang is an act of delineating a distinct ethnic boundary, not only to demonstrate ethnicity to themselves, but also as a response to the "Burmanization" policy of the Burmese military. Shan in Piang Luang chose many kinds of identity and use them in order to distinguish themselves from other ethnic groups. (page 206).