Mizzima
General Yawd Serk, Chairman of the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA), marked the 79th Shan National Day on 7 February by calling for the establishment of a Federal Army to ensure national security.
Speaking from the RCSS headquarters at Doi Tai Leng, the General attributed Myanmar’s ongoing instability to the “ego, pride, and greed” of a single leader, noting that acting on personal will rather than the public desire has led to the current state of turmoil.
He gave four recommendations as: modern and ethnic leaders should learn from past mistakes and prepare for the future, recognizing their own errors rather than those of others; building mutual trust and implementing the 1947 Panglong Agreement and commitments; seeking solutions through face-to-face dialogue for mutual benefit instead of oppression or attempts to defeat one another; and establishing a Federal Army for national security.
The RCSS Chairman stated that these suggestions were made to help solve the problems of the Union of Myanmar and to assist the thinking of both leaders and the public for future national development.
General Yawd Serk noted that Shan National Day emerged from the signing of the 1947 Panglong Agreement, and it is common knowledge that the Union of Myanmar came into existence only because of that agreement.
The RCSS Chairman pointed out that despite 78 years of independence, the country has failed to develop like its neighbours because national leaders have lost touch with the “Middle Way” or Moderation.
Furthermore, he stated that the Union was not founded as a single state. Rather, the 1947 Panglong Agreement clearly shows that Myanmar and Shan State had distinct governments and administrative systems.
He mentioned that while ethnic groups honestly respected and followed the Panglong Agreement, certain organizations and individuals in Myanmar oppressed ethnic peoples. They ignored the will of the ethnic public within the Union, seized power, and shifted the country from a democratic system to a socialist one.
He noted that during Senior General Than Shwe’s era, the 2008 Constitution was drafted, and the 2010 elections were held. Subsequently, during President U Thein Sein’s administration, the signing of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) led to a slight improvement in the country’s situation.
The RCSS Chairman’s speech also mentioned that while there was progress in some sectors during the five-year term of the government led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, political turmoil and crises re-emerged following the 2021 military coup.
He said that because the military used force and violent crackdowns against citizens who rejected the coup, the people had to take up arms and wage the Spring Revolution.
However, due to the national instability, the people are facing general crises, including becoming internally displaced persons.
General Yawd Serk concluded that these conditions are the consequences of a single leader’s ego, pride, and greed, and that acting according to one person’s will instead of the public’s desire; and failing to follow the 1947 Panglong Agreement.
Approximately 7,000 people attended the 79th Shan National Day ceremony on 6 February, including RCSS/SSA Chairman General Yawd Serk, other officials, and representatives from various invited organizations.
Over 1,000 RCSS members performed a military parade during the ceremony, and officials from attending organizations delivered congratulatory speeches for Shan National Day.
Additionally, congratulatory messages were sent by the Karen National Union (KNU), Southern Shan Nations Defence Force (SSNDF), Arakan Liberation Party (ALP), and Shanni National Unity Council/Shanni State Army (SNUC/SNA).
In his own message on the 79th Shan State Day, Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing called on ethnic armed organizations and “terrorist groups” in Shan State to understand the country’s actual needs, abandon the armed path and violence, and join the dialogue table for peace.
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