Authorities support or block Shan State peace rallies, depending on political tone
Thousands attended public gatherings for
peace across Shan State this weekend, both voluntarily and allegedly due to
pressure from local authorities.
Yesterday, a Buddhist ceremony was held
in Hsenwi Township to recognize and pray for the victims of renewed military
clashes in central Shan State since the October 15 signing of Burma’s controversial
Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA).
From October 23-24, rallies were held in
Kengtung, Lashio, Loilem, Tachileik and Taunggyi in support of the NCA.
The largest of the pro-NCA rallies was
held at a public recreational facility in Taunggyi, Shan State’s capital. Four
thousand people attended the event.
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Over
4,000 attendees at a pro-NCA peace rally in Taunggyi on Friday (S.H.A.N.)
|
At the Taunggyi rally, Sai Aung Sa and
Sai Note, the local Shan Literature and Cultural Association (SLCA) chairman
and secretary, respectively, said they “welcome and support” the NCA signing.
But some attendees at the pro-NCA peace events
told S.H.A.N. that they came because they were summoned by their township
administration.
“They called us from the village,” said
Sai Khun Aung, 24, a local resident. “Only when we got here did we know that it
was to support the NCA.”
One person from each household was told
by the authorities to join the event, he added.
“We got an order to come and attend [from
the township],” said Sai Hseng, a 50-year-old shopkeeper who, with 500 others,
went to a pro-NCA rally in the northern Shan State city of Lashio on Saturday.
“I have no feeling about the NCA,” he added.
The NCA was signed by the government and
eight of the country’s more than 20 ethnic armed organizations, including two
which are active in Shan State: the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan
State Army-South (RCSS/SSA-S) and the Pa-O National Liberation Party (PNLA).
In the days since the signing,
government military offensives have escalated against some non-signatory groups
like the Shan State Progressive Party/Shan State Army-North (SSPP/SSA-N). The
clashes have resulted
in over 3,000 ethnic civilians being displaced in central Shan State.
“According to my understanding, [the
fighting] in Shan State is due to the conflict over territory and the political
situation,” Sai Aung Sa added. “We feel sorry for the war victims…we understand
the problems they are facing.”
Yesterday’s prayer ceremony in Hsenwi
attracted 1,200 people from 13 surrounding townships, and was organized by the
Tai Youth Network (TYO) through invitations circulated on social media.
At around 11 a.m. on Sunday, attendees walked
to the Gong Mu Htat Pagoda, seven miles outside of Hsenwi Town, to find the
gates to the site locked.
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Around
1,200 people blocked from entering a Hsenwi pagoda to pray for Shan State war
victims (Citizen Reporter / S.H.A.N.)
|
The location was chosen by superstitious
locals who feel that the structure has the power to strengthen opposition to
the Burma Army; the site’s founding abbot was known for using Dhamma—the Buddha’s teachings—to
criticize Sr.-Gen. Than Shwe, the leader of Burma’s previous military
government.
A spokesperson for TYO, 35-year-old Sai
Hseng Mong, said that the pagoda’s management team denied access to the
procession, which included monks and civilians. The ceremony attendees instead
recited prayers at a local shrine.
“They don’t want the people to come and
pray,” he said. “This is a good chance for youth to [see] the real political
situation today.”
Local government authorities in Hsenwi refused
to comment when S.H.A.N. reached out to them about the incident. The committee
for the management of Gong Mu Htat pagoda was also not available for comment.
The prayer ceremony’s focus was on those
affected by the ongoing fighting in Shan State since the NCA. Youth
organizations raised about 9 million kyats ($7,000 USD) for internally displaced
communities in Kesi, Mong Hsu, and Mong Nong townships.
Sai Hseng Mong’s view of the ceasefire
is pragmatic: some groups are ready to sign and some are not, he said; the
government “shouldn’t force them” to back the agreement.
“We will go to help the war victims
soon,” he said. “And we will send a letter to President Thein Sein to stop the
war.”
By SIMMA FRANCIS (Shan Herald Agency for News / S.H.A.N)
Reporting by SAI YIPHONG (Shan Herald Agency for News /
S.H.A.N)
Tags: General, News, Politics
