The Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) representatives meeting the people in more than half of the townships in Shan State told them it is not taking sides in the upcoming November polls, according to a 353 page report, a copy of which was read by to SHAN.

The 19 strong delegation, made up of 6 males and 13 females, had made a month long tour of 39 towns in 35 townships (2 of them in Mandalay Region), 21 June-22 July.

“We are not siding with any parties,” said Lt-Col Sai Harn, leader of the delegation. “We will not persuade anyone to cast votes for any candidates. And we will not consider setting up any political parties until the 2008 constitution is amended.”

Not a few had thought since its sister organization, the Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA), is allied to the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), it was natural RCSS/SSA would be supporting either it or its rival Shan Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP).

Many had also complained why the two parties were making it hard for them to decide. Thousands last year had signed a petition urging them to merge, only to be turned down by both.

“We want them to be a single party,” one of the participants was quoted as saying, “Now we don’t know which party to vote.”

Others were critical of the inability of each party to bend. The main contentious point is the SNLD’s 8 states stand (1 Burman and 7 non Burman) and the SNDP’s 14 states (7 Burman and 7 non Burman) stand.

“Aung San had promised Burmese 1 Kyat and Shan 1 Kyat,” the standard argument from the SNLD says.“So if we accept the 14 state configuration, it’ll be Burmese 7 Kyat and Shan 1 Kyat. Yielding to it is a traitorous act.”

The RCSS/SSA, after trying to reconcile the two warring parties last October, gave up. “It is a matter of priorities,” Sao Yawdserk, leader of the RCSS/SSA explained. “We want them to be one party, but they can’t. On the other hand, both are willing to negotiate with Naypyitaw on a state-based platform by co-founding the Committee for Shan State Unity (CSSU). In my opinion, that should come first.”

One RCSS/SSA leader, who requests anonymity, said, “If outsiders are worried about the RCSS/SSA taking sides, they should be when there was only one Shan party. But now that there are 3 Shan parties, and we can’t support any party without hurting the CSSU cause, they can very well count us out.”

According to the said report, the people are mostly concerned with issues that directly affect their day-to-day life: drug abuse, land confiscation, children’s education, coal mining, deforestation, taxation, recruitment of new fighters, extrajudicial killings, and continued fighting despite ceasefire being signed.

Other issues discussed at the public consultations include constitutional amendment, dam projects on the Salween and the Wa demand for a separate statehood, among others.