Myanmar ethnic peace negotiator plans all-inclusive conference in next week

Myanmar ethnic peace negotiator -- the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) is planning an all-inclusive conference next week to touch on potential signing of the nationwide ceasefire accord (NCA), the draft of which was preliminarily signed between the government's Union Peace Making Work Committee (UPWC) and the NCCT on March 31.

Invitation will be sent to all ethnic groups, both members and non-members of NCCT, official media quoted NCCT deputy leader Pado Saw Kwe Htoo Win as saying.

However, the venue is not yet set.

The ethnic conference, expected by May 20, will be a follow-up of a six-day summit of ethnic armed groups, sponsored by the United Wa State Army (UWSA) in Panghsang, the self-administered zone of the Wa ethnic group in northern Shan state, from May 1 to 6, during which adoption of the principally-signed draft nationwide ceasefire accord was sought.

The government, on its part, vowed readiness to finalize the nationwide ceasefire agreement but is waiting for the outcome from the ethnic summit, attended by 12 invited armed groups including Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), Karen National Union (KNU), United Wa State Army (UWSA) and National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA).

The early May ethnic summit conference, in a 12-point statement, called for settlement of domestic conflict through political means, proposing the holding of political dialogue with the government inclusive of all ethnic armed groups.

The statement also called for inclusion of non-ceasefire groups in signing ceasefire pact with the government.

The ethnic leaders demanded an immediate stop of government's offensive against some armed groups in the north during the ceasefire talks process.

The statement insisted non-secession of ethnic areas from the federal union.

The statement also called for constitution amendment in order to build a federal union with guarantee of national equality and self-prescription.

Meanwhile, the Kayin National Union (KNU) and the Restoration Council of the Shan State (RCSS) of the Shan State Army (SSA) sponsored a peace and national reconciliation forum in Yangon on last Saturday with signatories to the Deed of Commitment for Peace and National Reconciliation calling for holding political dialogue before the 2015 general election and in the post-election period in Myanmar.

The forum, attended by government ministers, ethnic affairs ministers, 64 political parties, seven ethnic armed groups and people-centered organizations, also agreed to form a coordination team for peace and national reconciliation to realize the pledge in the deed of commitment signed by political forces in Nay Pyi Taw on Feb. 12, involving the government, parliament, defense services, Union Election Commission, some four ethnic armed groups and 55 political parties. Endi