SSA message for U.S Ambassador Derek Mitchell

He said this is his message for US Ambassador Derek Mitchell who is currently visiting Burma.

“The ceasefire agreement (signed on 2 December 2011) was only a bridge, not the end of the road,” he elaborated. “There are three more things to do afterward: trust-building, amendment of constitution and holding of new elections.”

Meeting Yawdserk on 19 November 2011 on the Thai-Burma border, Naypyitaw negotiator U Aung Min had enunciated a 3 step (so far not officially publicized) peace process: Ceasefire, Development and a “Panglong-like” conference. Development, he explained, would be part of the trust-building operation.

He also stated that amendment of the constitution could be made only in the parliament and anyone who initiates an amendment bill should be an elected member of parliament first.

“Our own proposal is that the constitution should be amended with the full participation of the people,” said Yawdserk. “Only after it is amended, should we hold new elections.”

His position echoes that of a recent Wa reply to SHAN’s query: How about pushing for legislation (of their proposals) after their people have been represented in the union parliament? “No, no, that’s impossible,” he said. “We will be a very small, negligible minority there while the Burmese military and its party are the majority. How can you hope to get their approval for anything that is against what Hey had already decided?”

Another obvious alternative would be to initiate amendments at the so-called Panglong-like conference. The SSA has already confirmed the next Panglong should be about how to implement the principles agreed at 1947 Panglong (“Full autonomy in internal administration, rights and privileges regarded as fundamental in democratic countries and financial autonomy”) and not about laying down a new, different set of principles.

From inside Burma, the de-registered Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), that had won the 1990 elections state wise, also repeated its request to Secretary of State Clinton during her 30 November-2 December 2011 visit: We want you to help us become a federal democracy like the United States.

Special Representative and Policy Coordination Ambassador Derek Mitchell is due to visit Thailand, 12-14 January.

So far, Naypyitaw has signed ceasefire agreements with 5 groups: United Wa State Army (UWSA), National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA), Kloh Htoo Baw, RCSS/SSA and Chin National Front / Chin National Army (CNF/CNA).