The Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) announced that if the local people living in Shan State flee abroad with their families, their property will be confiscated.
The Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) released the military service policy and land policy on 19 February that male or female aged between 18-45 from any ethnic group in Shan State shall perform their national duties during the military conflict.
“The persons who serve in the RCSS will be exempted. The military council on its part will recruit citizens according to their law. The military council will recruit the people from the plain area. It has nothing to do with the people in Shan State. Shan people do not need to serve for the military council. The people must decide according to their own consent,” said Major Sai Kham San, Spokesperson of RCSS.
The military service and land policies released now are existing policies since the establishment of RCSS/SSA. The RCSS/SSA publishes these policies for public knowledge.
“The main thing is to prevent people from selling their homes and going abroad. It also aims to enable them to live here. Land policy is included in the administrative work of the RCSS. We don’t forbid them to make money as a profession. We forbid them in order that they can’t abandon their homes and fieldsÓ Major Sai Kham San continued.
The conscription policy of the RCSS are: 1. Those who have turned 18 are to serve in the military for six years; (2), those who have completed the university level are to carry out teaching and office work; (3) those who are proficient in industry are to work in electrical equipment, machine and maintenance departments; (4) IT experts are to perform their duties in drone force and IT and website department; and (5) those who are proficient in politics, organizing and record-keeping are to perform their respective duties.
Similarly, those who have arrived in Thailand, China and Laos will also have to register for military service with the RCSS and perform their duties.
In addition, the houses and belongings of those who fled abroad with their families and the uplands that have been abandoned for up to three years will be confiscated by the RCSS as the property of the village. According to the land policy of the RCSS, the owners shall seek permission from relevant administrators to sell their real estate.
To date, the RCSS continues to uphold the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) and hold regular meetings with the National Solidarity and Peacemaking Negotiation Committee (NSPNC) of the military council.
Before the announcement that the RCSS will confiscate the land of those who go abroad, the pro-military Telegram channels named Hmaing Wai and DGF21 News shared propaganda on 17 February that “some of the ethnic armed groups that have signed the NCA will also send military personnel to the Myanmar army under the People’s Military Service Law.”
After the announcement of the mandatory military service for all young citizens on 10 February, the SSPP/SSA and the RCSS/SSA, which did not join the fight against the junta, have also invited Shan people to join the Shan army since the third week of February.
Both the SSPP/SSA and the RCSS/SSA have not yet participated in the fight against the military dictator.
On the other hand, Major General Zaw Min Tun, the leader of the press team of the military council, told the media that the ones who join another armed group to avoid the military service law are in the violation of law. They will be punished for breaching the law. Residents said that the military council is strictly conducting surprise checks on guest lists and censuses in townships of Shan State.
Sent by Shan News