Ethnic conference on draft cease-fire accord kicks off in Myanmar

An ethnic conference aimed at seeking final adoption of a draft nationwide cease-fire accord (NCA) and laying down framework for an all-inclusive political dialogue kicked off in Law Khee Lar, Myanmar's southeastern Kayin state on Tuesday.

The Law Khee Lar conference is being attended by invited armed groups including the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and the Karen National Union (KNU).

Ethnic minorities have major roles to play potentially in Myanmar's peace process, said Vijay Nambiar, a United Nations special envoy.

The five-day Law Khee Lar ethnic conference, sponsored by the ethnic armed groups' Nationwide Cease-fire Coordination Team (NCCT) , is 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, in early May, during which adoption of the principally- signed draft NCA was initially sought.

The draft NCA was preliminarily signed between the government's Union Peace Making Work Committee (UPWC) and the NCCT on March 31 after conclusion of more than one year's negotiation on the NCA. The draft NCA is yet to be formally signed after approval from top leaders of both sides.

The government, on its part, has vowed readiness to finalize the nationwide cease-fire agreement but is waiting for the outcome from the ethnic meetings.

It is the fifth ethic meeting since the first in Laiza, northernmost Kachin state, in October-November 2013. Endi