Roundup: Myanmar state counselor calls for immediate end to armed conflicts in North

Myanmar's State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi on Wednesday urged armed groups in northern Myanmar to join the government's peace process by signing the Nationwide Ceasefire Accord (NCA) to immediately end the conflicts.

Suu Kyi, in the capacity of chairperson of the National Reconciliation and Peace Center, made the call in her first remarks after military conflicts broke out in the border areas four days ago.

She extended sympathy and condolences to victims who had lost their lives and those who had been wounded.

"At a time when people of Myanmar are in the process of striving for national reconciliation and peace that had remained elusive to them in the past, it is extremely disappointing and saddening that these incidents are instigated," she said.

"Mining of bridges and attacks on border posts by these armed groups also cut off flow of trade, transport and communication, thus deterimently affecting the socio-economic lives of civilian population in the area," she said.

She stressed that taking up arms would not bring about any desired goals of the people but only lead to protracted armed conflicts.

The 21st Century Panglong Conference is the only way to end all armed conflicts and establish a perpetual peace, she said, adding that the government is still keeping the door open to all relevant stakeholders for participation in the peace process and that all parties need to sign the NCA to end all conflicts.

She asked the armed groups to work together with the civil society to find ways to strengthen the monitoring mechanism that would ensure non-violation of ceasefire agreement and to work toward a peace goal and take part on equal terms in the upcoming second 21st Century Panglong Conference to be held in February 2017.

Military conflicts broke out in the border area of northern Myanmar's Shan state early Sunday morning, when an alliance of three non-ceasefire signatory ethnic armed groups launched surprising attacks on government's military outposts and police stations in Muse and Kutkai townships as well as a border trade zone in Muse.

The three armed groups are Kachin Independence Army (KIA), Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and Kokang's Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA).

Ten people, including four civilians, have been killed and 33 injured in the clashes, according to updated figures of the Information Committee of the State Counselor's Office Wednesday.

Four temporary relief camps have been opened in Muse, where 3,000 refugees are being accommodated, according to the committee.

The State Counselor said the Myanmar government is striving its utmost to help restore the situation in the North to normalcy.

The Myanmar government has pledged to unwaveringly push through the all-inclusive peace process under the umbrella of the NCA.

It has invited non-signatory armed groups, represented by the Delegation for Political Negotiation (DPN), to the meetings of the Framework for Political Dialogue and on the working guidelines for holding a national-level political dialogue.

The government had also coordinated to provide opportunities for non-signatory armed groups to attend the first 21st Century Panglong Conference held in August-September this year in NayPyiTaw together with the signatories.

The government had also arranged meetings with the DPN twice in Thailand's Chaiangmai and thrice in Yangon to persuade them to take part in the peace process. Enditem