Learning to Share: Three days in Shan Shine
Day Two. Wednesday, 22 February 2017
Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.
Martin
Luther King (1929-1968)
The
RCSS/SSA, also known as SSA “South,” has 5 main bases along the Thai Burmese
border:
·
Kawng Moong Mong Homong sub-township, opposite Thailand’s
Maehongson (Muang)
District
·
Loi Taileng Homong sub-township, opposite
Thailand’s Pang Mapha district
·
Loi Lam Monghta sub-township, opposite Thailand’s Wiang Haeng
district
·
Loi Hserm Hsip Pongpakhem sub-township,
opposite Thailand’s Fang district
·
Loi Gawwan Monghsat township, opposite
Thailand’s Mae Fa Luang district
 |
(RCSS/SSA) annual meeting at
Loi Taileng, 22 February 2017.
(Photo:PI)
|
Its troops are active mostly on the west bank of the
Salween, and until late 2015, in the southern part. A small base was set up in
2006 in Namkham township, on the Sino-Burmese border a year after the Burma
Army’s forced disarmament of Palaung State Liberation Army (PSLA) and forced
ejection of the SSA North’s Third Brigade north of the Mandalay-Muse road. Then
after an attack by the TNLA, the PSLA’s successor, in 2015, its troops have
spread over the north to maintain its supply and communications line. Attempts
at negotiations so far have not been fruitful.
To
maintain liaison with local government units and the people, it has since 2012
set up liaison offices in 9 towns: Taunggyi, Kengtung, Mongpan, Kholam,
Mongton, Monghta, Tachilek, Muse and Kyaukme. The last two are officially still
“economic” offices.
The
day is spent in reviewing the progress made during past year. And these are
some of their comments:
·
There’s a Shan
saying: Where there is no fish, the price of frogs rise. But it seems,
according to our experience, even the price of tadpoles are rising. (The
comment aims at more capacity-building for RCSS/SSA members engaged in
political negotiations which most of them are not familiar)
·
More information
sharing with the liaison offices that are required to communicate with the
local Burmese units, necessary. Sometimes, when problems like being attacked by
a Burmese patrol come up, we find we don’t have sufficient information to
counter the Tatmadaw’s accusations
·
We have different
interpretations of our bilateral and multilateral agreements with the Tatmadaw.
The sooner we straighten them out, the easier our job will be
There
is a call in the evening from the KNU on the subject of choosing appropriate
dates for the upcoming Union Peace Conference #3, also dubbed 21st
Century Panglong#2.
“The
Tatmadaw’s representative thinks 1-5 April should be okay,” the KNU’s advisor
Saw Htoo Htoo Lay. “But the KNU (whose Congress begins on 14 March) thinks 26
April (that is after the Burmese New Year) would be better.”
The
RCSS, still wrangling with Naypyitaw over the ideal venue for its ethnic based
National Dialogue, leaves the matter entirely to the KNU.
Day Three. Thursday, 23 February 2017
We always like to say what liars the Burmans are
But we never like to admit what suckers we’ve been.
A
Karen leader, 18 February 2017
 |
(RCSS/SSA) officers after annual
meeting at Loi Taileng, 23 February 2017. (Photo: PI)
|
Today’s
morning session is spent in the review of the past year. More comments:
·
If
we are not allowed even to treat drug addicts, signing the NCA is meaningless
·
We want to change
the constitution. The NLD wants to change the constitution.
On the other hand, it was easier to deal with the
previous (quasi-military) government. But it has been more difficult to deal
with the NLD government.
·
To Tatmadaw wants
us to withdraw from the north. But the people there say we must not. They won’t
feel secure living in the north anymore, if we return to our southern bases
·
We need to inform
the people its not we who are violating the terms of the NCA
·
The review
session is not for finding fault with one another. It is for finding fault with
what is being done.
 |
(RCSS/SSA) dinner party at
Loi Taileng,
23 February 2017. (Photo: PI)
|
323
members are promoted, including 284 non-commissioned officers.
One
advisor, former Lt-Col Paimoeng Laihsai, then proposes promotion of Sao Yawd
Serk to full general, which is supported by the meeting.
Plans
approved for the next year include: reorganization of the administrative
department as well as the army. How the RCSS is going to do it is something we
should wait and see.
The
meeting ends with a dinner party in the evening.
Tags: Opinion
