The following journal is about what had taken place during my last trip to attend the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) signing anniversary which was held in Naypyitaw on 15 October 2016.

As the Shan saying goes, “Salt never rots and knowledge is never in excess,” I’m sure the reader will benefit from the reading, some if not much. In either case, the reader won’t have to spend so much time going through it, because I have never been known to be long winded. I would never know how to.

Day One. Monday, 10 October 2016

Sharing a meal makes it delicious

Sharing a burden makes it light

108 Dehong Tai Proverbs

Tai Studies Institute (1994)

This 22^nd trip of mine to Hopeland is quite different from others: when the long practiced formula is just to observe, report and advise. But this time I’ve been asked to help coordinate the arrangements for the upcoming Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) signing anniversary. As the Coordinator of the Peace Process Steering Team (PPST) was away in South Africa and asked me to assist. And to my eternal regret, I had accepted. Because if something goes wrong, I’ll be held responsible, partly if not totally.

Being unburdened for so long, I must admit I don’t like it at all. I might even be getting real old (as if I weren’t already) doing this sort of thing.

There’s one thing good about it though: I’m learning to appreciate the troubles the active participants are going through, and not to attach too much blame on them for some of the occasional slipups.

To my relief, Hkun Okker, the PPST Coordinator got back last night and is now accompanying me (or rather it’s the other way round) to Mingladon.

We arrive there at 12:30 but it takes us another hour negotiating through Rangoon’s notoriously heavy traffic to reach the National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC), formerly the Myanmar Peace Center (MPC) on Shweli Street. The meeting, scheduled for 13:00, has accordingly moved to 14:00, thanks to the NRPC officials.

Dr Tin Myo Win, the State Counselor’s chief negotiator and Vice Chairperson #2, NRPC , opens the meeting saying, “Now NCA is known even by children. Hearing my 2^nd grade niece using it, I asked her what it meant. And she said, ‘It means we don’t shoot at each other anymore.’”

The long and short of the 2 ½ hour meeting is as follows:

• The invitation will be issued by the State Counselor, who is also the chairperson of the NRPC
• EAOs, both signatories and non; former government leaders including President Thein Sein, and witnesses, both domestic and international, will be invited
• The ceremony on 15 October will be held between 09:00-12:00. The government will meet the non-signatory Delegation for Political Negotiations (DPN) in the afternoon.
• The venue will be Myanmar International Convention Center I (MICC Ⅰ), and not at MICC Ⅱ, as there will be only about 400 invitees

So far so good. But, as meetings go, there are some glitches too. Notably on the question of the approval of the Terms of Reference (ToR) for National level Political Dialogue (NPD) to be completed by the tripartite Union Peace and Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC) before the end of the month.

The PPST meeting on 7 October (3 days earlier) in Chiangmai thought that any agreement reached on the ToR should only be provisional until further approval by PPST (and later the Joint Implementation Coordination Meeting).

This message by EAO representatives at once draws a stream of protest by some government representatives:

• Does it mean the PPST is above the UPDJC? (No, it’s only above the EAOs’ UPDJC bloc)
• Both the government and the military have already granted mandate to their UPDJC representatives to decide on the NPD on their own judgment. Why can’t the EAOs do the same? (For one thing, while the government and the military have only two bosses — the State Counselor and the Commander in Chief, EAOs have 9 — their own and the PPST. Knowing its own sluggishness, it is still looking for a speedier mechanism.)
• It seems the signatories are dragging their heels like their non signatory counterparts (No, but EAOs need a little extra time to see to it that their negotiators and policymakers share same understanding)

The meeting, all in all, is a success, after a fashion (the new word I’ve just learned. I guess the resultant peace may also turn out that way.)

I have a pleasant get-together with some old friends in the evening. Naturally our conversation touches upon the current peace process. But nothing serious is discussed. At least I can’t remember anything of substance to write in my diary when I get back to the hotel.