Learning to Share: Three days in Shan Shine
(21-23 February 2017)
Kevyn:
So we’re losing?
Petey:
No, we’re winning expensively.
Schlock Mercenary, Quotes on
Pyrrhic Victory
 |
(RCSS/SSA) annual meeting at
Loi Taileng, 21 February 2017.
(Photo: PI)
|
From
21-23 February, I was invited to observe the Restoration Council of Shan
State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) annual meeting in its Loi Taileng (Shan Shine
Mountain) base that reviewed its past year activities, November 2016- October
2017.
The
last time I attended its annual meeting was in 2014, when the SSA South was
still embroiled in hundreds of clashes.
Naturally
I wanted to know how much progress it has made since the signing of the
Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) on 15 October 2015.
And
also naturally, my problem is to inform the reader what they are entitled to
know without, at the same time, revealing sensitive data.
I
hope I’ll be doing my best to please both sides.
Day One, Tuesday, 21 February 2017
Sao
Yawd Serk opens the meeting with a 10 minute speech extracts of which are as
follows:
·
The Shan
resistance is almost 59 years old, 20 of which I have been in the leading role.
A critical review is necessary
·
Whether we fight
or negotiate, the objective is to achieve political power for the people
The
following are extracts from the annual reports:
·
Conscription has
been suspended, but we still encourage voluntary enlistment
·
We have also
resolved to establish a police force
·
We have been in
34 clashes during the year: 6 against Burma Army and 28 against the TNLA.
Casualties on our side: 8 killed and 41 wounded.
·
We conducted
public consultations in 15 towns in Shan State in October 2016. Altogether
2,380 had attended. (Their questions, and statements of problems and wishes are
reported separately). We also held consultations with migrants in Bangkok,
Rayong, Lampoon, Chiangmai, Maehongson and Chiangrai in Thailand.
·
We participated
in the 2 Union Peace Conferences (UPCs) in January and August 2016
·
Study trips were
made to 8 countries: The Philippines, Germany, Indonesia, Switzerland, China,
Cambodia, Norway and Japan
·
We received rice
assistance and cash assistance to purchase rice, before the program was
suspended in mid-2016:
16,333 bags from Nippon Foundation
371, 141, 982 Kyat from Myanmar Peace Center (MPC)
·
The SSA received
1,333 recruits and had 690 discharges, most of whom were conscripts plus some
deserters
·
The Finance
Department received approx. $ 20 million in Thai, Myanmar and Chinese currencies
(I forgot to calculate the expenditures, but it is about the same size, the
bulk going to the military. Not too different from the Tatmadaw, wasn’t it?)
Here
are some of the questions asked by the people during the consultations:
·
Can we really
rely on the Committee for Shan State Unity (CSSU)? We hope it’s not just a
straw fire. (It was set up on 17 October 2013 by RCSS, SNDP and SSJAC plus 9
CSOs)
1.
Why are there
still fighting between the RCSS/SSA and the Tatmadaw?
2.
How do we tackle
with demands for new states inside Shan State?
3.
Can the conflict
with TNLA settled peacefully?
4.
Shouldn’t 7
February designated as a public holiday?
5.
Will Mogok and
Maymyo (Pyin Oo Lwin) return to Shan State?
Next
come the problems faced by the people:
1.
Rising drug
addictions
2.
Few Shans hold
national ID cards
3.
Land confiscations
4.
Bullying by the
Tatmadaw and PMFs (People’s Military Forces set up by the Tatmadaw) continues
5.
Paying tax to SSA
North and SSA South along adjoining areas
6.
Continued
deforestation
7.
Increased air and
water pollutions
The
last are their wishes:
1.
Shan State should
have its own constitution
2.
The 2008
constitution should be amended
3.
Shan language
should be taught during school hours
4.
There must be
Burman state (s) too
5.
There should be
only one Shan State defense force
6.
Other racial
groups of Shan State should join CSSU
7.
The Shans were
the losers because of the 1947 Panglong. May they not lose more because of the
21st century Panglong.
The
day ends with dinner at Chairman Sao Yawd Serk’s house, where he talks about
his MA studies in Bangkok. One more subject, and one dissertation paper, his
school days will be over, he says.
“My
teachers have urged me to do a doctorate, but I don’t think I’ll be able to
handle it at present.” He’s 60 this
year.
Tags: Opinion
