Roundup: Myanmar sees rays of hope for nationwide ceasefire

Myanmar's government and some ethnic armed groups agreed on Sunday to set Oct. 15 for the formal signing of the nationwide ceasefire accord (NCA) in Nay Pyi Taw, producing the hope that the nationwide ceasefire could be realized soon.

The designation of the date for NCA signing at the Myanmar International Convention Center came after talks between the government's Union Peace Making Work Committee (UPWC) and eight armed groups out of 15 invited by the government for attendance at the Myanmar Peace Center in Yangon.

Of them, seven implied to take part in the signing as advance signatories as decided at their own meeting in Thailand's Chaingmai prior to the formal talks with the government.

The seven armed groups are Kayin National Union (KNU), Kayin National Liberated Army(KNLA)-Peace Council, Pa-O Nationalities Liberation Organization (PNLO), All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF), Chin National Front (CNF), Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) and Democratic Kayin Buddhist Army (DKBA).

The meeting formed a joint committee comprising 10 members each from the two sides for holding the NCA signing ceremony.

The United Nations, the European Union, China, India, Thailand and Japan will be invited to attend the historic signing as international witnesses as disclosed.

Other invitees will include all 67 foreign embassies in Myanmar, 92 political parties and civil society organizations plus leaders of non-signatories to the ceasefire.

Representing the government side, it was affirmed that the president and his two vice presidents, the Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Services and his deputy will sign the NCA.

Signatories to the NCA were promised to be removed from the government's list of outlawed associations days before the signing.

U Aung Min, vice chairman of the UPWC, reiterated that door will be open to those groups, especially in the north of the country, for delayed signing in view of the fact that they are not in readiness to sign the NCA as currently set.

U Aung Min, who is also Minister at the President's Office, however, insisted that the NCA signing will lay a foundation for the peace process accepted by all for the next term of the government.

Before the set formal signing, the draft NCA was preliminarily signed between the government's UPWC and the ethnic groups' Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) in late March after conclusion of more than one year's negotiation.

The two sides are set to draw up a political framework within 60 days after the formal NCA signing, and start a political dialogue within 90 days.

In their negotiation held in Nay Pyi Taw on Sept. 9 for the formal signing of the NCA, President U Thein Sein and nine top leaders of ethnic armed groups, negotiators of both sides made some concessions on ethnic groups' demand for all-inclusive deal and agreed in principle that 15 armed groups, which had reached bilateral agreements with the government, will sign the NCA first which is expected to be followed suit by other six remaining non- invited groups.

Through further negotiation, of the six remaining groups that the government has so far not included in the NCA deal, an agreement was reached for three to take part in political dialogue namely Lahu Democratic Union, Arakan National Council and Wa National Organization, while separate talks are set to be held with Kokang's Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and Arakan Army (AA), while the Taaung National Liberation Army ( TNLA) is likely to sign the NCA if it reaches bilateral agreement with the government.

President U Thein Sein assured that the "Unlawful Association" status of the first-batch signatories will be revoked shortly before they give their endorsement for the accord. The status of other ethnic armed groups will also be revoked once they join the signing later.

The tough peace process began in November 2013 when UPWC and NCCT met in Myitgyina, Kachin state's capital, for the very first time for the nationwide ceasefire talks, while the final round, which was the 9th, was held in Yangon in August. Endi