Myanmar state counselor calls for consensus in seeking peace

Myanmar's State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday called for reaching common consensus in seeking eternal peace in the country.

Speaking at the opening of the two-day meeting of the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee's (UPDJC) in Nay Pyi Taw, Aung San Suu Kyi, who is the committee's chairperson, said that the non-existence of peace in the country since independence was due to the failure to meet the needs of people, warning that the absence of lasting peace could cause the economy to collapse.

She stressed the need to work for peace in the country without ignoring the undertaking for economic and social development and called for mutual trust and unity to successfully hold the upcoming 21st Century Panglong Ethnic Conference.

The 18-member UPDJC , made up of representatives of the government, ethnic armed groups and political parties, is headed by State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi.

Aung San Suu Kyi, who is also chairperson of the Central Committee for Holding the Panglong Conference, has called for continued coordination and cooperation on preparatory work being carried out by the government in order to successfully hold the conference, saying that the Panglong Conference is the first step toward a robust Union.

The former Myanmar government and eight ethnic armed groups out of 15 signed the Nationwide Cease fire Accord (NCA) on Oct. 15, 2015, leaving seven other armed groups who are yet to sign the accord. Enditem