To Hopeland and Back: The 22nd trip
Day Seven. Sunday, 16 October 2016
- Here in this deep and boundless waste, where shore is none to meet the eye
Thy utmost strivings are in vain—here in mid ocean thou must die
- Why dost thou speak thus? If I perish while I make my best efforts, I shall at all events escape from blame
He who does all a man can do is free from guilt toward his kin
(Photo: /seap.einaudi.cornell.edu)
The lord of heaven acquits him too and he feels no remorse within
The Jatakas, E.B. Cowell and W.H.D. Rouse (1907)
In honor of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej (1927-2016), an ardent admirer of Mahajanaka Jataka
Today, I have a chance to entertain a visitor who’s young (about my eldest son’s age) and greatly admired by me—Dulyapak Preecharush, Assistant Professor from Thammasat University, currently doing his doctorate on federalism at Cornell University.
In response to his question, I inform him that, according to Patthana Dhamma, attributed to the Buddha, there are two ways different things/beings can join together:
- One is Sampayutta Paccaya (Merging condition), what the Americans call “Melting pot.” People of different cultures and backgrounds come from all over the world to the United States. But all are Americans once they are settled there.
- Another is Vippayutta Paccaya (Combining condition), what one Indian scholar calls “Salad Bowl.” Different peoples retain their differences, but like a dish of salad, all of them are better off being together than staying separate. “There can be no nobler association than this,” commented a Buddhist scholar.
(However, one German scholar warns: It also means if one of them is rotten, the whole thing goes to pieces.)
I spend the rest of the day re-reading and trying to make sense of the notes I had taken on the business workshop, 11-13 October.
Day Eight. Monday, 17 October 2016
- What use in strivings such as these, where barren toil is all the gain
Where there is no reward to win, and only death for all thy pain?
- He who thinks there is naught to win and will not battle while he may
Be his the blame what ‘er the loss,’ twas his faint heart that lost the day
The Jatakas, E.B. Cowell and W.H.D. Rouse (1907)
In honor of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej (1927-2016), an ardent admirer of Mahajanaka Jataka
Today, we go to NRPC to discuss one of the most anticipated topics: funding.
(Photo: Min Zaw Oo/Facebook)
Almost all EAO representatives, signatories and signatories, are present. Conspicuous by their absence are the United Wa State Army (UWSA) and the National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA). “Wa absence is not a surprise,” one government source confides. “But (NDAA) Mongla’s is.”
But he doesn’t need me to point out to him that since the 28 September seizure of the two NDAA outposts by the UWSA, the former’s dealings with the outside world have been fairly, if not completely, restricted.
Dr Tin Myo Win opens the meeting by informing us how the State Counselor sees it:
“Right now there are two extreme options:
- One, the government holds all the purses
- The other, the donors spend their money as they prefer to
What the SC wants to do is to strike a happy medium between the two
Here are some of the points discussed by the participants:
- There must be transparency
- Big EAOs will focus on capacity building, while small EAOs on survival
- A joint founding coordination body is a must. During the 2008 Nargis, some villages received assistance every time donors came, but others little or nothing. We mustn’t repeat that situation in the peace process
- The joint body is for collaboration and cooperation, not for control
After 3 hours, 4 people (2 from the government and 2 from the (EAOs) are selected to draft a ToR. The next meeting will be on a certain date in early November.
Another meeting is held in the evening between the signatory Coordination Team (CT) and non signatory DPN to review this morning’s meeting. I won’t dwell on it much, but the decision is that the EAOs should consult with donors before they start drafting a ToR.
Day Nine, Tuesday, 18 October 2016
- Men in this world devise their plans and do their business as seems best
The plans may prosper or may fail, the unknown future shows the rest
- Seest thou not here today is our own actions which decide
Drowned are the others, I’m saved
And thou art standing by my side
- So I will ever do my best to fight through ocean to the shore
While strength holds out, I still will strive, nor yield till I can strive no more
The Jatakas, E.B. Cowell and W.H.D. Rouse (1907)
In honor of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej (1927-2016), an ardent admirer of Mahajanaka Jataka
This morning, CT and DPN representatives are off to NRPC, while I’m on my way to the office of Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), that has assumed chairmanship of the Committee for Shan State Unity (CSSU), thus far made up of 3 Shan political parties and 2 Shan State Armys (SSA).
Sai Nood aka Sai Nyunt Lwin, General Secretary, informs me that the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP) had just
jointly organized a meeting of Shan State based political parties to form a Shan State bloc yesterday. Which will be very useful when the CSSU begins a state-wise political dialogue meetings, that are expected to start next month. And the SNDP, popularly known as ‘White Tiger’ for its logo, without doubt deserves credit for it, if its efforts pull off.
Another is that CSSU will be meeting on 29 October. One main topic, he says, will be about holding national level (which in practice is State level) political dialogues that will lead to the third Union Peace Conference, also known as 21st Century Panglong #2, in February.
At 11:00, I’m at Mingladon. By 15:10, I’m back in Chiangmai.
See you again after the next trip.
