Day Three (22 Jan 2014)

Today the conference, instead of going over the draft NCA paragraph by paragraph as it had done yesterday, is dividing itself into discussion groups to do an overall review as suggested by some participants.

One highlight of the affair is that 3 Karen groups are forming a single discussion group. So are the 3 Arakanese groups and 4 non-Shan groups from Shan State. The two Shan groups however choose to do it separately (don’t ask me why).

Several interesting items came out of the discussions, when they were reported in the afternoon. Here are some of them:

• To conclude the political dialogue 6 months before the 2015 elections. If several topics remain undiscussed, to resume the political dialogue after the elections.
• Guarantee by the government not to exert pressure on a group in the event that it is unable to join the nationwide ceasefire signing
• Some armed groups/factions that have accepted Border Guard Force (BGF)/ People’s Militia Force (PMF) status under the Burma Army are concerned they will be left out from the peace process (Meanwhile the government is saying they would like to close the list at 16 groups, made up of 14 that have already signed state-level ceasefire and two that are yet to sign it: KIO and PSLF)
• To consider the NCA null and void if one of the group is attacked without provocation by the government
• Establishment of new states, including re-designation of the non-ethnic regions as states

My own suggestion to the conference was not to take anything at face value, quoting Sun Zi’s not-so-famous saying:

Not to count on opponents not coming, but to rely on having ways to deal with them;
Not to count on opponents not attacking, but to rely on having what cannot be attacked. (Chapter 8, Thomas Cleary version)

Some participants later praised me as a wise man. Greatly embarrassed, I said, “No, I’m not. I’m just a guy who knows a lot of wise sayings spoken by other people. I’m just transmitting them to you.”

A Shan, Sai Kyaw Hla, who’s been a battalion commander in the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) under Brig-Gen San Aung, took leave after one night stay with us.

I told him the Karens have made themselves proud by giving us fine officers such as Maj Hla Khin and Lt-Col Chit Sway. We hoped he would make Shans proud too.