Monday, January 4, 2016

Shan Herald Agency for News

Shan Herald Agency for News

Burma Army attacks NCA signatory RCSS/SSA-S in eastern Shan State

Posted: 04 Jan 2016 12:23 AM PST

A clash between the Burma Army and the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army-South (RCSS/SSA-S) on New Year's Eve marked the first outbreak of conflict between government forces and an ethnic armed group signatory to the country's Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA).



According to an RCSS/SSA-S spokesperson, fighting occurred at about 1 p.m. on December 31 in Mong Peng Township in eastern Shan State's Kengtung District. The clash allegedly lasted one hour and involved the Burma Army Battalion No. 278 and RCSS/SSA-S troops.

"They [the Burma Army] attacked us. We lost one soldier and another one was injured," said Col. Sai La of the RCSS/SSA-S. "But no casualties from Burma's side have been reported."

A source close to the Burma Army in Kengtung, who spoke to SHAN on the condition of anonymity, alleged that Batallion No. 278 "got the command" to attack when RCSS/SSA-S troops entered territory claimed by government forces.

Sai La responded by saying that the RCSS/SSA-S has been active in the disputed area in Mong Peng Township since the days of the Mong Tai Army (MTA), referring to the Shan State force led by Khun Sa who later surrendered to the Burmese military government in 1996.

He also pointed out that the group's longtime presence in the area could be vouched for by the region's locals.

"We do not understand why they attacked us," he said, of the Burma Army.

Sai Khuensai, an advisor to the RCSS/SSA-S and the managing director of the Pyidaungsu Institute, told SHAN that the Burma Army's actions in Mong Peng might dissuade non-signatory ethnic armed groups from signing the NCA and taking an active role in the peace process.

The RCSS/SSA-S was one of the country's eight ethnic armed groups—of more than 20—to sign a Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement with representatives of Burma's government on October 15 of last year. The next step in the country's peace process is a national political dialogue is scheduled to begin on January 12.

In September, SHAN reportedthat U Hla Maung Shwe, a senior advisor at the Myanmar Peace Center, said that the NCA might only "reduce" fighting. In the same article, Sai La, of the RCSS/SSA-S, worried that clashes could continue as long as the territories of government and ethnic armed groups are not clearly defined.

By SAI AW / Shan Herald Agency for News (S.H.A.N)

The NCA: Let not one rotten fish fill the whole boat with foul smell

Posted: 03 Jan 2016 10:48 PM PST

It was Lincoln who once said, "If a man ceases to attack me, I never remember the past against him."

The implication is crystal clear. If that man returns to his bad ways again, all his past misdeeds will be remembered. Not only what he did, but all those what his friends, and his outfit has done, past and present. Worse, all the good deeds that his group has done may be forgotten.

The Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), though signed by 8 of the 15 ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) recognized by the government on 15 October, was approved by the Union Legislature on 8 December, thanks to the efforts of government leaders like U Aung Min and U Thein Zaw.

To add to the credit of the government, and especially the military, negotiations that followed the NCA signing —military Code of Conduct (COC) and terms of reference (TOR) for the Joint Implementation Coordination Meeting (JICM), Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Committee (JMC) and Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC) that will oversee the political negotiations — went smooth, mostly because military representatives graciously conceded that all the demands by the signatory EAOs were in line with the NCA.

The understanding showed by the military was such there were even unfounded but understandable accusations from some quarters that the signatories were working hand in glove against the non-signatories. That was until the 77th day after the NCA signing.

On New Year's eve came the unexpected blow: A patrol of the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA), better known as SSA South, was attacked by a column of the seemingly friendly Infantry Battalion (IB) 278 in Mongpu, Mong Piang township eastern Shan State.  The SSA reportedly lost one fighter.

But the loss was more than one precious life. Both the SSA and the local people appeared to have lost confidence in the Burmese military as an institute of honor. Hardliners in the EAOs, both signatories and non-signatories, moreover have been "proven" by that unfortunate oversight that they have been right all along.

The only things that can save the day appear to be the speedy establishment of JMCs at state and local levels, and the holding of the political dialogues in faith by both sides, especially by the government side.

If not, not only can we not expect the non-signatories to come on board, even the signatories will be leaving it, deciding that War War, if we are permitted to counter-paraphrase Churchill, may be bloodier  but less dishonest than Jaw Jaw.

Does starting of Union Peace Convention by Thein Sein regime hastily make sense?

Posted: 03 Jan 2016 06:50 PM PST

The Myanmar Peace Center (MPC), Thein Sein's think-tank and PR Office, including government's organs of Union Peace-making Working Committee (UPWC) and Union Peace-making Central Committee (UPCC) are keen to leave a political legacy of peace process, aside from having to toe the timeline as prescribed by the so-called nationwide ceasefire Agreement (NCA). At least this is the position that Thein Sein Regime is projecting.
But the reality is to control the peace process beyond the end of its regime, when NLD government comes in after March 2016.
All the President's men in MPC don't want to be out of job and of course influence also, for by all means it is a lucrative undertaking with millions of dollars international aid involved. It is even dubbed a peace industrial complex.
Thus it is in the interest of many to keep the armed ethnic conflict alive, first to keep the international aid flowing and second, to justify that the Burma army is needed to keep the country together and so must be kept as a leading role in Burma's politics.
Thein Sein regime's rejection of all-inclusiveness and hastily holding Union Peace Convention in January is aimed at protecting these privileges. Otherwise, if it is sincere, it will just leave the whole task to the incoming NLD regime, for it would be much easier.
Just imagine, the first Union Peace Convention will start on 12 January 2016, but the tenure of Thein Sein regime will end in March and parliament at the end of January.
Isn't this a waste of resources and lack of logical thinking, given that there won't be continuity of government and parliamentarians as the regime change is to occur soon, besides going through all these with just 8 ethnic armed groups, when there are 21 fighting against the regime?
Isn't this supposed to be nationwide and not partial peace process leading to actual ceasefire on the ground and political settlement?

MPC or organization that has been defamed by some media

Posted: 03 Jan 2016 05:56 PM PST


Credit should be given, where it is due. But the point is MPC is a government organ and promote USDP-Military line of thinking. And as such, the core theoretical underpinning is to uphold the main strategic thinking of military and Bamar supremacy scheme.

It could be much better, if millions of international aid Dollars could be given to a neutral body to promote and facilitate the peace process, rather than just financing the government organ- the MPC. Everyone with a sense of simple logic knows that a balance outcome, especially where political settlement is concerned, between the military-dominated clique and the ethnic nationalities, armed or unarmed, cannot be achieved.

It is not the question of personal jealousy but a justified distribution of resources - in this sense peace process funding of the adversaries or negotiating partners- that is to be questioned and not anything else. To put it differently, the ethnic nationalities' camp as a whole is handicaped in a lot of sectors, including financial help, for the government side is getting all the needed help from the international donars, when the ethnic camp is getting next to nothing.

That is why, the struggle to obtain a genuine, justified federal union will be an uphill battle for the ethnic nationalities. But at least, with the partial change of guard in the governance of the country, as NLD and Aung San Suu Kyi would occupy the coming administration, there is still hope for the ethnic nationalities to realize their aspirations.


Regarding the commentary by Si Thu Aung Myint (Mizzima - 31.12.2015)
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