An interview with U Aung San Myint, Chairman of the Karenni State Consultative Council (KSCC)
U Aung San Myint, chairman of the Karenni State Consultative Council (KSCC), said the consultative body has started administrative and judicial activities after two years since its establishment. Following the 2021 military coup, the KSCC was established by anti-junta forces on 9 April to advise the interim government and perform legislative and judicial functions.
In an interview with Kantarawaddy Times, KSCC Chairman U Aung San Myint discusses the current status of the advisory body’s judicial work.
Q: In January 2023, the KSCC held a conference. What has happened after this conference?
A: We held our very first conference from 17-20 January 2023. According to our interim plan, we elected two chairs from the members. Then we reviewed the work plans and identified the strengths and weaknesses of the last two years. Then we held a five-day workshop to develop our strategic plans. in the administrative council, we appointed presidents and treasurers at the central executive level. According to our interim plan, we will implement the policies and strategies set by the KSCC. For this reason, there will be discussions with the existing committees. Right now we are also working with other organizations and have some plans to continue other work. For our health committee, we held a five-day workshop to establish policies and processes for implementation. So, over the last one or two months, we have been reassessing KSCC activities, holding preliminary workshops to develop strategies, having discussions with existing committees, and forming the administrative council at the executive level.
Q: How have you collaborated with other organizations in the two years since the KSCC was formed?
A: In terms of groups on the ground, we work with them as usual when it comes to humanitarian assistance as well as education, health care and security. As I said earlier, some groups or forces are no longer part of our reorganized KSCC. What I mean by that is that only formally they are no longer part of it. But when it comes to actually doing business, we work together. We, the KSCC, are just a group that formulates policies and strategies. We are a group that guides and monitors the plans that are set. Although not part of this group, all groups work together in the practical implementation.
Q: What is the administrative council doing at the moment?
A: In our state, none of the administrative mechanisms of the terrorist military are able to operate. They only operate from their military bases. Now we carry out all the activities such as security, administration, education, health care, humanitarian aid and law enforcement. So, as I said before, we are not only involved in administration, but we have also started our judicial functions. In terms of legislative functions, we will draft and enact laws. Currently, the KSCC only aims to formulate the necessary policies.
Q: How does the justice system work now?
A: We are now the KSCC. There will be a department of justice under the administrative counicil of the KSCC. This department’s role is only to support judicial activities, not to make judgments. What I mean by that is that the department will provide procedures for the court. It will strengthen law enforcement. But our judiciary will be an independent judicial system. For that, we will have courts at the central and state level. And then we will have district and municipal courts. There will be three levels of courts and the jurisdiction of their courts has already been established. We will continue to implement them. To be clear, we have already drafted the Penal Code, the Criminal Law, and the Customary Law. There will also be a statute law. For this reason, we will have a central court. And there will be courts at the state level. We have drafted statute laws on human trafficking, forest conservation, drug trafficking and use. Now that we have these laws, we have started to establish courts. Then we will try to appoint a justice minister as soon as possible. We have already appointed some judicial officials. Then we will start enforcing law and order. We have also done some training on maintaining law and order. That is, we have already provided training on the administration of public law and the function of the rule of law. We have now put those two into operation as well.
Q: Currently, some IDP camps are dealing with problems in their own way and according to their traditional customs. How will you continue to handle this?
A: We will have three levels of courts. Customary law will be applied at the township and village level. Of course, there will also be administrative groups. At the township level, we will have armed revolutionary organizations. We will have individuals with experience in administration and local residents. We will form a unified administration. When we apply customary law at the township and village level, there will also be judges who will judge according to our law. We will implement it with a judicial law with the participation of the elders who are familiar with our tradition. So it is only a matter of cooperation. We have not changed or removed anything.
Q: What else would you like to add?
A: What all ethnic nationalities and all political parties in Myanmar want today is justice and the creation of a federal democratic union that can fully guarantee equality and self-determination. To build such a democratic union, the first thing we need to do is to cut off the roots. We must eradicate the 2008 Constitution, which can perpetuate the military dictatorship. In carrying out such a process, we must cooperate in every way, politically, militarily and diplomatically. We need everyone, the whole country, to participate. We need all states to participate in it. Even if their participation is weak today, we know that if we really carry out this revolution together, we can achieve our goal as soon as possible. What is special is the history of Karenni State. Our history shows that we have had to endure oppression by various dictators for more than 75 years. Once we succeed in achieving justice and the right to self-determination, our next generation will experience this. Therefore, I would like to call on everyone to join the struggle against the 2008 Constitution and the military dictatorship. In doing so, people will face difficulties. I would like to encourage parents that this is not only the case in Karenni State. There is also hardship and suffering in our parts of Myanmar, such as Pakkoku and Sagaing. Homes and lives are being destroyed in these regions as well. The military dictatorship is trying to suppress us with all its might. So we must fight back with all our might. I would like to urge you to do so.
Sent by Kantarawaddy Times.