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Roundup: Myanmar continues to strive for national reconciliation, domestic peace

Xinhua, May 1, 2017 Adjust font size:

Myanmar has vowed to continue to strive for national reconciliation and domestic peace, setting May 24 to hold the second meeting of the 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference in Nay Pyi Taw for five days, a dialogue open to all ethnic armed groups.

It was designated at the Joint Implementation Coordination Meeting (JICM) in the capital recently, held for the first time during the incumbent government and was attended by State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Services Vice Senior-General Soe Win, leaders of eight signatory armed groups to the Nationwide Ceasefire Accord (NCA).

The government and eight cease-fire signatory armed groups also agreed on eight points with their continued peace process which include exploration of basic policy accepted by all sides and holding of national level political dialogue with groups that have not yet been inclusive and drawing of standard of operating producer (SOP).

The JICM agreed to make coordination on undertakings during the transition period from the date of signing the NCA to reaching a union agreement.

Other agreed points include tasking the JICM to demarcate the controversial cease-fire area between the government forces and the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) / Shan State Army (SSA)-South and striving to bring non-ceasfire signatory groups to join the NCA.

Meanwhile, Myanmar has been holding national region-oriented and race-oriented political dialogue in regions and states across the nation since January. The latest national level political dialogue took place in Taunggyi, Myanmar's Shan state-South, in April.

Representatives from the self-administered regions and zones submitted a total of 70 papers respectively related with politics, economy, land issues and natural resources and environmental conservation which were read during the dialogue involving the government, armed groups and political parties as well as the civil societies.

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

Myanmar's previous U Thein Sein's government and eight 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, four months after the new government led by the National League for Democracy (NLD) took office.

The first meeting of the Panglong Conference agreed to find solutions through coordination and discussions towards the goal of achieving peace.

That conference called for prompt implementation of peace without delay and coordination of diversified stances and opinions expressed in the event.

The eight signatories mainly include Kayin National Union (KNU), Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) and Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) / Shan State Army (SSA)-South.

In the latest development, of the seven remaining non-ceasefire signatory armed groups, five, which are members of a coalition of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), proposed accession to NCA in March. They are Kayinni National Progressive Party (KNPP), New Mon State Party (NMSP), Arakan National Council (ANC), Lahu Democratic Union (LDU) and Wa National Organization (WNO).

State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi stressed the importance of inking the NCA which she said would pave way for them to attend the upcoming second meeting of the Panglong Peace Conference.

Official media commented that the five armed groups' decision has created bright rays of hope for national reconciliation and peace which has shined a positive light on many successive eras of Myanmar history of seeking peace.

However, Aung San Suu Kyi warned that "at such a time of great importance, 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.

The five armed groups' promised signing of the NCA came after year-long negotiations, Aung San Suu Kyi said. Endit