Myanmar state counselor calls for making firm decision for peace

Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday called for making clear and firm decision for peace.

She made the call in her opening address of the 9th meeting of the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC) in Nay Pyi Taw.

Suu Kyi, who is chairperson of the UPDJC, emphasized the importance of the organization in Myanmar's peace process.

She highlighted that the UPDJC is not working for a group, the National League for Democracy (NLD) or the government but for the emergence of the union.

Monday's 9th UPDJC meeting made a review on the decision made at the 8th meeting and the status of its implementation.

At the meeting, Chairman of the Joint Monitoring Committee Lt. Gen. Ya Pyae urged for placing emphasis on avoidance of armed conflicts in order to hold the second Panglong peace conference successfully for national reconciliation and peace.

Late last month, Aung San Suu Kyi held talks with the Peace Process Steering Team (PPST) of armed groups in Nay Pyi Taw with the two sides pledging to strive for achieving a concrete result in the upcoming Panglong peace conference.

Their discussions covered the current conflicts in northern Shan state, the impact on the peace process, domestic and international aid for the development of the ceasefired areas in the state and efforts to bring in non-ceasefired groups to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA).

The UPDJC is made up of 48 members - 16 each from the government, ethnic armed groups and political parties - to lead political dialogue. Endit