CNI News
11 Oct 2022
The public has to bear the brunt of politics and war, RCSS/SSA spokesperson Maj Sai Kham San told the CNI.
As political issues are sensitive, challenges faced by the public should be taken into consideration, he added.
He told CNI, “Political issues are sensitive. Some politicians make assessments from the political perspective alone. They may have differing views and may not be optimistic. Some analysts make assessments from the military perspective alone. However, younger people, the public and monks are not well versed in politics. Such assessments may discourage them. There are differing views n social media.
Assessments should be made from both political and military points of view. The armed struggle is born out of politics. When political dialogue fails, stakeholders take up arms. The public has to bear the brunt of political and military issues. We need to take the basic needs of the people. Only then, will we be able to make assessments that are closer to truth.”
RCSS troops. (Taifreedom)
Armed clashes have broken out between the RCSS and joint forces of the SSPP and the PSLF/TNLA and the situation has been tense in some areas in Shan State.
Military tensions have escalated due to lack of information exchange, communication and mutual trust among ethnic armed organizations, said Maj Sai Kham San.
He said, “The public is caught in the crossfire and gets into trouble. More and more people are displaced by war. Some people have moved to towns temporarily and become IDPs. Most of them move to border areas. As far as we know, hundreds of people move to border areas with Thailand every day. Hundreds of thousands of people have moved to border areas during the last two or three years of tensions. There are many deserted villages in southern Shan State.”
The RCSS issued a statement on 10th October to urge armed groups in Shan State to solve political issues through political means.
Different armed groups including the RCSS/SSA, the SSPP, the UWSA, the MNDAA, the NDAA, the KIA, the TNLA, the PNLO, the LDU, the AA and militias are active in Shan State.
