Day Three: Reorganization (14 February 2014)

The next day was reorganization inside the RCSS. And the latest line-up will be of interest to all, whether friend or foe, who are following the RCSS/SSA:

Central Executive Office (CEO)

Sao Yawdserk	Chairman
Sao Sai Yi	Vice Chairman #1
Sao Kherh Ngeun	Vice Chairman #2
Sao Siri	Secretary General #1
Sao Lao Hseng	Secretary General #2
Sao Pawng Kherh	Committee for Peacemaking
Sao Sai Lu	Committee for Coordination with the Burmese government

Under the CEO are 15 departments:

Defense	Sao Kherh Ngeun, Sao Kham Leng and Gawn Zeun
Public Administration	Sao Pawng Kherh and Kherh Piu
Finance	Sao Yawdserk
Tax	Sao Kherh Zawm
Commerce	Sao Awn Teun
Foreign Affairs	Sao Yawd Moeng
Health	Sao Na Aw
Education	Sao Herng Fa and Nang Mwe Kherh
Information	Sao Sai Long
Forestry	Sao Sai Leng
Agriculture	Sao Wan Hseng
Public Relations	Sao Hseng Moeng
Alliance	Sao Sai Hserh
Drug Enforcement	Sao Hseng Harn
Development	Sao Sai Leng and nang Kham Oong

Several resolutions were also passed at the meeting. Among them are:

• Enlisted men have the right to lodge their complaints by bypassing the chain of command (“If they have no options, they may do desperate things, like desertion,” commented Chairman Yawdserk)

• Officers may be investigated/ transferred or dismissed, if local Sangha and people lodged a jointly signed complaint (“A resistance movement is born of the people,” says Yawdserk. “It dies when they are fed up with it.”)

• Capital sentence will be passed only by the central court

• The draft constitution of the RCSS/SSA will be discussed in April and ratified at the upcoming bi-annual meeting

• Recruitment will be on a voluntary basis for people age between 18-45 for 3 years. For draftees it will be 5 years. (“There will be no conscription until there is a directive issued by  the central command,” said Yawdserk)

• Permits for minerals and timber must be obtained from the Chairman’s office

• There shall be no drug factories inside RCSS/SSA territory. RCSS/SSA members are strictly forbidden from engaging in the drug business

Retired fighting general Gun Jade concluded the meeting with a sound advice: “Shans must be big-hearted when it comes to dealing with non-Shans. Or else it’ll be as good as pushing them into our enemy’s arms.”

The day ended with a (delicious) noodle dinner and a message of felicitations from U Aung Min, Naypyitaw’s chief negotiation, up on Gen Yawdserk’s re-election.
I left Shan Shine on the next morning.