I’m not supposed to write anything about the Shan leaders meeting, 2-4 October, that had just concluded. But since the cat is out of the bag and I believe I won’t be compromising anybody and, moreover, the people have a right to know what had taken place so they can come to what they believe as the right decision, the following journal is presented with “some gloss-overs”  that are essentially factual.

Day One

Wednesday, 9 October 2014

I am one of those who believe that the Shan’s Toe (Toe Naya in Burmese), the mythical 4 legged creature featured in most of their traditional dances, is actually the Yak that live in the far and cold north of Asia. That they died during the Shan exodus to the south. And that Shans have since then started the Toe dance in their honor.

My belief is once more assured by the Thai Airway’s Sawasdee in-flight magazine spotlighting Yaks in Li Jiang, northern Yunnan, where one of the Shans’ cousins, Yi, live.

“Perhaps they don’t dance like Toe?” the doubtful Shan officer who sits beside me says.

“They do,” I reply. “I have seen Mongols featuring them in their circus shows.”

The hotel in Bangkok is right on the east bank of the Chao Phraya. Its guests are overwhelmingly Chinese. Naturally conversations in Shan, Burmese, English and others are hopelessly drowned out by Chinese.

We find Shan leaders from Burma, escorted by Naypyitaw’s foremost peacemaker U Aung Min, already checked-in by the time we arrive there.

After lunch we hold a preliminary review of the 6^th and latest meeting between the rebels’ Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) and the government’s Union Peacemaking Work Committee (UPWC) with the Karen National Union (KNU) and the Myanmar Peace Center (MPC) representatives.

The following is the gist:

·       The deadlock at the latest parley took place because the military’s smoldering suspicions were aroused by the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) that had concluded its first congress on 2 September. It believes that the 12 party armed alliance will try to footdrag the signing of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) until 2016 after the new government, preferably under Aung San Su Kyi, has been in place

·       The result of it was the toughening of the military’s position like reiterating the Commander-in-Chief’s 6 point prerequisite which requires the ethnic armed organizations to accept the 2008 constitution it had drafted and ratified

·       The MPC appears to be of the opinion that negotiations for the Framework for Political Dialogue should begin whether or not the NCA is completed in order to sustain the momentum

Meanwhile Shan leaders also meet to discuss their growing concern over the impending attack by the Burma Army against the Shan State Army (SSA) at the Ta Phasawng Bridge over the Haen river in Kehsi township. “The Burma Army doesn’t need it,” says a leader. “It is already in occupation of the main crossing. This is only a pretext to remove the SSA.”

The Burma Army had issued an ultimatum: Move out before 12:00 today or face the consequence, according to the SSA.