Almost a year after he plunged into the peace process, doing his shuttle diplomacy between ethnic rebel movements on the border and Naypyitaw, U Aung Min, the newly appointed President’s Office Minister # 4 or “Minister Without Borders” as he likes to call himself, is disclosing loud and clear for the first time that payments for peace are not coming from either the state coffers or the foreign peace support groups, according to Karen Information Center (KIC)’s interview with him on 4 September.
“Until now there has been no state budget headings (for the peace process),” he said. “Also the Parliament has yet to allocate us any cash.”
Likewise businessman U Hla Maung Shwe, who is almost always seen beside him, is also spending from his own pockets, according to him. “Since he’s been with me, he’s getting eligible for the paupers list.”
However, everything is for the worthy cause – peace. “I regard this as a merit-making,” he said. “So we are putting all our hearts and souls in the work.”
Not realizing this state of affairs, the Shan State Army (SSA) leader Yawdserk had invited a horde of media people from Thailand to Kengtung, where the second round of Union level talks took place on 19 May. “Since they were his guests the government refused to be responsible for their accommodations. In the end, Sao Yawdserk was obliged to pay,” said one of his aides at that time. “Cost us more than 80,000 baht (around $ 2,700) just for the media.”
Personally, he didn’t really mind about the expenses, Aung Min told one of the Shan participants at that time, “Fortunately, my parents had left me a big parcel of land to own. I won’t get poor even if I spend 1 million kyat ($ 1,000) a day.”
On the other hand, the KIC report has triggered questions about the government’s sincerity in the whole peace process with the ethnic rebels fighting for equality.
“It is as though the Thein Sein clique had told him: If you want to do it, do it from your own pockets. And if his efforts turn out to be successful, it’ll be like the traditional Karen saying. It is the snake that bites, but it is the crow that eats,” said Rimond Htoo, a Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP) leader.
