Day Five. Sunday, 6 March 2016

Get to know your opposite numbers at all levels socially.

Friends take longer to fall out.

The Global Negotiator

Today, Sao Yawdserk meets U Aung Min and the MPC officials for one and a half hours, 13:00-14:30.

I won’t bother you with the details. The long and short of this meeting is that the RCSS is not happy with his planned business projects, none of which has so far materialized. The situation, in brief, had been “the government giveth and the military taketh away.” Before this, the government side had contended that there wasn’t sufficient trust because the RCSS has not signed the NCA yet. But after the October signing, what more excuses does Naypyitaw has for him, who’s getting only the name but not the game?

Despite implied tension, the meeting goes quite well. Because it is one between two people who have known and exchanged friendly banters with each other for more than 4 years, thanks to the peace process. Whether the verbal agreement reached there remains hot air or takes solid shape is of course another matter. But I hope, for peace sake, every party gets what it wants.

Here are some of the things I have overheard while talking to the people there:

• A certain big country has offered to patronize the whole peace process. It has only one condition: Naypyitaw must slam out other offers
• The first job of the new government is to familiarize itself with the ins and outs of the government apparatus. Depending on how long this honeymoon period takes, the next Union Peace Conference will have to wait. Even the next session of the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC) that oversees the overall political negotiations is not expected to be called before May. Ms Suu Kyi has already declared that the present TOR of the UPDJC must be amended, and this process alone may take some time
• In addition, what should be remembered by all stakeholders, says one, is that the peace process has come this far due to the fact that the incumbent President gets along well with the military. There is hope that the new President will do the same

I have a few visitors at the hotel the rest of the day and then spend the evening visiting my relatives.

The next day, I drop in at the SNLD office to exchange notes with them. Unfortunately, I don’t have anything worthwhile to report about here.

At 11:00, I stand before the airways counter at Mingladon. As usual, they take time with my traveling document, about 15 minutes, before deciding my ticket is, worth a boarding pass.

I hope it takes less time next time.

As for Sao Yawserk, they should be checking in at the domestic side at the same time. As he has already informed to the authorities, he’s planning to fly to Taunggyi and then go by car to Kholam some 70 miles in the east, to meet the commander of the Burma Army’s Central Eastern Command, in whose operational area lies the location of Loi Taileng, as well as make a survey of the sites for the RCSS/SSA planned economic projects. I hope he’s successful this time and becomes not just a name but one with the game too.

By SAI KHUENSAI / Director of Pyidaungsu Institute and Founder of Shan Herald Agency for News (S.H.A.N)

All views expressed are the author’s own