Peacemaking is about peaceful, diplomatic and judicial means of resolving disputes.

From Chapter 6 of UN Charter, insightonconflict.org

From 29 March -1 April, I was in Penang to attend the conference on “Governance and Insider Peace builders in Societies in War to Peace Transition,  Experiences from South and Southeast Asia” held on 30-31 March, at the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).

It was jointly organized by the USM, Berghof Foundation and the University of Winsor, and funded by Canada-based International Development Research Center (IDRC).

I was there to represent the Pyidaungsu Institute (PI) for Peace and Dialogue, as our chief academics were unable to make themselves available in time.

How much I have learned — and not learned — will be seen in the following journal.

Day One. Tuesday, 29 March 2016

Malaysia is one country I have long wanted to visit and study. The reason?

In 1922, the British Shan States became Federated Shan States (FSS). It was the outcome of a visit to Federated Malay States established by the British government in 1895.

As in Malaya, it was responsible for foreign affairs, defense and currency and coinage, but the responsibility for domestic politics of each state was left to the ruling prince, known as Saofa (also written Saopha, pronounced Sawbwa by the Burmese).

It is a 3 hour flight from Chiangmai to Kuala Lumpur, and then another hour back to the north to Penang. Why they don’t make it a two hour direct one between the two cities instead is beyond my comprehension.

But I remember, with a smile, what my favorite writer Gavin Lyall said about one certain hotel serving coffee in a small pot instead of a big one. Because you have to order another pot and they will get tipped again, that’s why, he wrote.

There isn’t much to write about my trip, except that I get hungry during the flight to Penang, as I have yet to eat all day and the plane doesn’t serve free lunches, not even water, though it has just been voted as the best low cost airline for the 7^th consecutive year. I order a cup of instant noodles and a bottle of water and when they come, the hostess refuses to take my dollar bill “Only ringgits, please,” she says. But as I’m returning my purchase back to her, the passenger who’s sitting next to me —a total stranger —asks how much and then pays for me in the local currency.

His Chinese name is Chen. He tells me and that he has a shop in Georgetown, just north of the Universiti Sains Malaysia.

We part friends on arrival as he’s carrying only an airline bag. (I’m to meet another such fellow passenger on my way back)

After picking up my bag at the baggage claim (here it’s called baggage reclaim), I walk through the corridor thinking of getting a taxi. It is then I see a big white notice with my name held up by a young man.

When I inform him I’m the one he’s looking for, he smiles and escorts me outside the terminal where a taxi is waiting.

Malaysia is like Thailand when it comes to driving. They do it on the same wrong side — left. After about 15 minutes we arrive at the USM with a big mosque on the left hand side just past the entrance gate.

I know right then there won’t be anyone waiting on ignorant visitors like me screaming for a cool beer.