Shan Herald Agency for News |
| RCSS/SSA-S leadership delegation visits Switzerland Posted: 15 Jan 2016 07:26 AM PST A leadership delegation from the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army-South (RCSS/SSA-S) left today for a ten-day exposure trip to Switzerland, according to representatives from the organization. This is the first such international trip for the RCSS/SSA-S, and is themed "Power Sharing and Federalism: Comparative Experiences."
The delegation of 14, which includes RCSS/SSA-S commander-in-chief Lt.-Gen. Yawd Serk, advisors, and members of education, health, peace, foreign affairs and anti-narcotics departments, were invited to the country by the Swiss ambassador in Yangon. They hope to gain further insight into Switzerland's federal government system—specifically, how power is allocated between a central government and the country's 26 "cantons," or states, and "communes," or municipalities. Khuensai Jaiyen, an adviser to the RCSS/SSA-S, said that the group is interested in "study[ing] not only about federal and state level governments, but also about local governments." During stays in four cities—Bern, Geneva, Montreux and Murten—the delegation will also meet representatives from international NGOs and study Swiss departments of defense, development, economics, education and healthcare. The visit overlaps with Burma's Union Peace Conference (UPC) in Naypyidaw, where talks are being held from January 12-16. RCSS/SSA-S representatives said that while Lt.-Gen. Yawd Serk is in Switzerland, a negotiating team from the organization will still remain at the UPC. The UPC was describedby National League for Democracy (NLD) chairperson Aung San Suu Kyi as an "acknowledgement of the completion of the NCA [Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement]." The RCSS/SSA-S is one of Burma's more than 20 ethnic armed organizations, and one of eight groups to sign the NCA. While 700 participants are in attendance representing the government, parliament, military, political parties and ethnic armed groups, the conference has been boycotted by many non-signatories to the NCA, including another major Shan armed group—the Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army-North (SSPP/SSA-N)—who were invited as observers. SHAN reported earlier today that aspirations of secession from Shan State have been expressed by non-Shan ethnic nationalities at the conference, including Ta'ang and Wa delegations, making explorations of federalism particularly urgent, according to Khuensai Jaiyen, who hopes the study trip will benefit the state and country. By STAFF / Shan Herald Agency for News (S.H.A.N) | ||
| Ethnic groups demand self-administrated states Posted: 15 Jan 2016 03:40 AM PST Ethnic Pa-O, Shan-ni, Ta'ang and Wa representatives demanded self-administrated states at the Union Peace Conference held in Burma's capital on Thursday.  During the five-day meeting in Naypyidaw, U Sai Paung Nub, a representative of the Wa Democratic Party (WDP), asked for a Wa state to be set up in six northern and eastern Shan State townships, which, according to 2008 constitution, have a Wa majority. "The Wa people live in many places, such as Lashio, Tangyan, Keng Tung," said U Zai Paung Nub. "In eastern Shan State, such as Mongton Township and Mongsat District, there are also Wa people. Therefore, we are demanding that these areas to be a Wa autonomous state." The sentiments were supported by the Pa-O, who have had a designated Pa-O Self-Administered Zone in the southern Shan State townships of Hsihseng, Hopong and Panglaung since 2010. "What we are demanding is not for only Pa-O people, but also for other ethnic groups who should be recognized as [having] self-administrated states," said Colonel Khun Okkar, the chairman of the Pa-O National Liberation Organisation (PNLO). "This includes the Wa and Ta'ang people." Ethnic Ta'ang (also known as Palaung) majority townships of Namhsan and Manton in northern Shan State have been designated as a self-administered zone. However, representatives from the Ta'ang National Party (TNP) requested that a separate Ta'ang State be formed in other parts of Shan State where Ta'ang people live. The Shan-ni, or the "Red Shan," also demanded, through their party, the Tai-Leng Nationalities Development Party (TNDP), a self-administrated Shan-ni state comprised of parts of Kachin State and Sagaing Division. "Instead of splitting into states, why we don't help each other and work together based on the principles of the Panglong Agreement?" asked Sai Leik, spokesperson for the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), citing the landmark 1947 accord promising autonomy and equality to Burma's ethnic nationalities. As to why this conflict might have developed, Sai Leik attributed it to the fact that "the ethnic nationalities who formed the union have never had their rights honored." The Union Peace Conference, being held from January 12-16, marked the beginning of a political dialogue between the Burmese government and the country's eight non-state armed groups who signed the controversial Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) in October 2015. The meeting was attended by over 1000 representatives from government, parliament, military, political parties, civil society organizations and international representatives. Boycotting the event were over 100 civil society organizations, in protest of ongoing conflict, and the ethnic armed groups who were not signatory to the NCA on the grounds that it was not inclusive. By SAI AW / Shan Herald Agency for News (S.H.A.N) |
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