To Hopeland and Back: The 17th trip (2-7 March 2016)
This latest trip was made primarily to attend the 5th
meeting of the Committee for Shan State Unity (CSSU) which was jointly formed
in October 2013 by the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army
(RCSS/SSA), Shan Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP) and Shan State Joint
Action Committee (SSJAC) as well as several Shan CSOs.
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| Summit Parkview Hotel,Yangon (Photo: http://www.tripadvisor.com) |
The SSJAC itself is an alliance of Shan
Nationalities League for Democracy (SNDP), Shan State Progress Party/Shan State
Army (SSPP/SSA) and Shan People’s Militia Force-Hseng Keow.
Day One. Wednesday, 2 March 2016.
Each of us is a God.
Each of us knows all.
We need only to open our minds to hear our own wisdom.
(Attributed
to The Buddha)
For the second time since January, the airways
official is having trouble trying to find my name on her set. The first time it
was when I was checking in for the trip to Switzerland. It took them some 40 minutes
to access my name. It wasn’t that way before the Thai airport administration
changed its system a few months ago. On the contrary, it was as fast as
checking other normal passports.
Mine is a different matter. I hold a Traveling
Document for Aliens issued by the Passport Division in Bangkok. The T.A.says my
nationality is XXA (sounds dangerously like SSA, doesn’t it?), which I was told
means a stateless person. Well, I suppose it isn’t quite reassuring to the
country I’m going, that I’m likely to jump ship there at my age, is it?
Anyway, she politely informs me to wait and goes up to
the Immigration office upstairs to check. She is back in a few minutes, which
indicates it hasn’t any problem with me going out of the country. She then
calls up what I think is Suvarnabhumi in Bangkok. Takes her another while to
decide my document is in order and she then issues me a boarding pass. The
whole process takes her half an hour and I thank her for her time and trouble. Luckily
there’s another counter to take care of other passengers.
After going up and through the immigration to the
departure lounge, I run into a young old friend Sai Hsai Wan and his family.
He’s taking them to visit his parents, Sai Aung Tun and Nang Noom, in Yangon.
Both of them used to be my teachers during my years in Taunggyi, 1962-68.
“Father’s being conferred Ambassador for Peace award by
the World Peace Movement Trust in India on 5 March,” he says. “If you, Lay Lay
(Uncle), can make yourself available, we’d like you to be there at the
ceremony.”
Of course, I reply I hope so, though I’m not sure.
Because the CSSU meeting is supposed to last until 5 March. Is it something
like the Nobel? I ask. He doesn’t know.
At 12:00 Burma Standard Time, after less than an hour
flight, we’re in Mingladon airport. Takes me another half an hour to get to the
hotel Summit Parkview on Ah Lone Road.
At 14:45, I’m at the Myanmar Peace Center (MPC) on the
Shweli Street. My host is U Hla Maung Shwe, who says he has arranged a meeting
on the evening of 5 March for the CSSU leaders and Dr Tin Myo Win, designated
as the deputy peace commissioner under The Lady, who’s also going to be “above
the President.”
In the evening I’m visited by a childhood friend.
“They say the NLD doesn’t have capable administrators and they will need people
from the outgoing government to come and help,” he complains. “But aren’t they
the same people who have since 1962 dragged the whole country down to become an
LDC (Least Developed Country)?”
Well, I don’t think anyone’s going to argue he’s
wrong, is there?
By SAI KHUENSAI / Director of Pyidaungsu Institute and Founder of Shan Herald Agency for News (S.H.A.N)
All views expressed are the author’s own
Tags: Opinion
