Myanmar to hold 3rd meeting of 21st century Panglong peace conference in January 2018

NAY PYI TAW, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- The third meeting of Myanmar's 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference has been set to be held in the last week of next January, according to a decision of the Joint Implementation Coordination Meeting (JICM).

The 6th JICM on Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) was chaired on Monday by State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi with the attendance of Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Services and Commander-in-Chief of the Army Vice Sen-Gen Soe Win.

The meeting also decided to hold national level political dialogue with the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS)/Shan State Army-South (SSA-S), one of the eight signatories to the NCA, in Langkho town, Shan state next January.

The meeting agreed to continue efforts for Arakan Liberation Party (ALP), another signatory to NCA, to conduct national level discussions, as well as to hold the 7th JICM meeting on the last week of next February.

In October 2015, Myanmar's previous government signed the NCA with eight armed groups out of 15.

The incumbent government has held the 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference twice in August 2016 and May 2017 respectively. The second meeting was able to incorporate a total of 37 adopted principles into a union agreement in the country's peace process, the first time in Myanmar's history.

The 37 adopted principles were signed by representatives of participating groups of the government, parliament, military, signatory armed groups to the NCA and political parties as Part One of the Union Accord.

The third meeting of the 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference is expected to discuss unfinished fundamental principles as well as new principles on federalism. Enditem