Roundup: Myanmar sees rays of hope for peace as non-signatopry armed groups ready to sign peace pact

Five ethic armed groups, which are non-signatories to the Myanmar government's Nationwide Ceasefire Accord (NCA), have sent message to the government saying they would sign the NCA.

The message of the five armed groups, which are members of a coalition of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), was received by State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi when she was giving a televised speech to the nation on Thursday night marking one year anniversary of the NLD government taking office.

Suu Kyi conveyed the message to the country's people additionally at the end of her televised speech, describing that the groups' readiness to sign ceasefire pact heralds hope for peace.

The five armed groups, who expressed their willingness to join in signing the NCA, are Kayinni National Progressive Party (KNPP), New Mon State Party (NMSP), Arakan National Council (ANC), Lahu Democratic Union (LDU) and Wa National Organization (WNO).

The news came as the greatest and most auspicious gift to the country with the incumbent government's one-year anniversary in office, official media said in its editorial, adding that the five organizations showed their trust in the government's peace-making process by acceding to the NCA.

Their decision has created bright rays of hope for national reconciliation and peace which has shined a positive light onto the many successive eras of Myanmar history of seeking peace, the editorial commented.

However, Suu Kyi warned that "undesirable destructive elements and instigation intended to harm peace might emerge," urging leaders of the ethnic nationalities and her compatriots to be extremely vigilant.

With the proposed accession to NCA, there remains only two armed groups yet to follow suit which are the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and the Shan State Progressive Party (SSPP) or Shan State Army (SSA)-North.

Suu Kyi said the five armed groups' promised signing of the NCA came after year-long negotiations.

During the month of March, Suu Kyi met with a delegation for political negotiation (DPN) of the UNFC, which represents the non-signatory armed groups to the NCA, in Nay Pyi Taw and agreed to nine-point proposals presented by the UNFC.

Besides, the government's Peace Commission also met the DPN of the UNFC with the two sides agreeing to work for the inclusion of organizations which should be included in the peace process.

Suu Kyi stressed the importance of inking the NCA which would pave way for them to attend the upcoming second meeting of the 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference expected in April or May, a dialogue open to all ethnic armed groups.

Myanmar's previous government and eight other armed groups signed the NCA on Oct. 15, 2015, and the first meeting of the 21st Century Panglong Conference was held in Nay Pyi Taw in August 2016, months after the new government led by the National League for Democracy (NLD) took office.

The eight prior signatories include 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), Democratic Kayin Buddhist Army (DKBA), Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) / Shan State Army (SSA)-South.

Meanwhile, Myanmar has been holding national region-oriented and race-oriented political dialogue in regions and states across the nation since January.

The outcome of all regional dialogues will be submitted to the upcoming second meeting of the Panglong Peace Conference, which is expected to gather about 700 representatives. Endit