The latest iteration of the “21st Century Panglong Conference” concluded on Monday with participants signing 14 points of agreement as the high-level peace confab came to a close in the capital Naypyidaw.
The Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee releases a statement reiterating the ethnic armed coalition’s intention to join the upcoming third iteration of the government-led 21st Century Panglong Conference, if the bloc is officially invited to do so.
Plans to hold the next iteration of the government’s self-styled “21st Century Panglong Conference” have been pushed back. Instead of convening late this month, the third round of the high-level summit will not take place until February.
Analysis Ethnic issues Lead Story Opinion Peace Process
The second session of the 21st Century Panglong Conference made substantial progress that offers a beacon of hope for sustainable peace in Burma, but key hurdles remain.
Women’s advocates said the second round of 21st Century Panglong Conference talks was much like the first – their voices were sidelined and undervalued.
Peace in Burma “is starting to take tangible form for the first time,” Aung San Suu Kyi said in upbeat closing remarks at the second iteration of the 21st Century Panglong Conference.
International Relations Lead Story News Peace Process
State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi met UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday and invited him to attend the 21st Century Panglong Conference next week, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.
Ethnic issues Lead Story News Peace Process
The Arakan National Party says its decision on whether or not to participate in the 21st Century Panglong Conference’s second round will be made after weighing the outcomes of a meeting of the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee this week.
The government on Monday set a 24 May date for the convening of the second iteration of the 21st Century Panglong Conference, the current administration’s signature peace dialogue.
Conflict Ethnic issues Lead Story News Peace Process
The second iteration of the 21st Century Panglong Conference is due to convene on 28 February, it was announced on Monday at a meeting of the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC).
Analysis Ethnic issues Lead Story News Opinion Peace Process
The Panglong Conference must be as inclusive as possible if it is to succeed in remaking Burma, says UN special rapporteur on human rights Yanghee Lee.
Ta’ang community leaders argue that the Ta’ang need their own state if they are to enjoy equal status in a future federal Burma.
Lead Story News Peace Process Politics Suu Kyi
Meanwhile, the chairman of the opposition USDP, former President Thein Sein, states that his party intends presenting its policies and stance to the Panglong summit.
Ethnic issues Lead Story News Peace Process
In his opening speech at today’s event, KNU Chairman Gen. Mutu Say Poe said that all the ethnic armed groups share one vision – building a federal union that can guarantee genuine peace.
Analysis Contributor Lead Story News Opinion
Burma’s ethnic minorities need to think carefully about how to get the most out of Aung San Suu Kyi’s plans to revive the “Panglong Spirit”.
“The ethnic leaders delightfully accepted our invitation,” said Khin Zaw Oo, one of the government negotiators tasked with liaising with ethnic armed groups.
If Aung San Suu Kyi wants a “second Panglong conference” to succeed, her government will have to learn from the failures of the first.
Negotiators from the government, military and a bloc of Burma’s non-state armed groups have agreed to convene the third session of the 21st Century Panglong Conference in January 2018.
Ethnic issues Lead Story News Peace Process
The Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee released a statement on Thursday conveying the ethnic armed bloc’s intention to join the next iteration of the government’s 21st Century Panglong Conference if its members are officially invited to do so.
State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi will meet with seven allied ethnic armed groups that are not signatory to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) on the sidelines of the ongoing 21st Century Panglong Conference in the capital on Friday, a government official has confirmed.
Ethnic issues Lead Story News Shan
The views of Shan people will not be adequately represented at the upcoming 21st Century Panglong Conference unless a national-level political dialogue is convened ahead of the summit, according to the Restoration Council of Shan State.
Lead Story News Peace Process Women's Issues
The 21st Century Panglong Conference was intended to be inclusive of all sectors of society. But one voice has been conspicuous by its absence from the peace talks – that of women.
Chin Conflict Ethnic issues Interview Lead Story News
CNF Vice President Salai Lian Hmung Sakhong, a key player in preparations for the upcoming 21st Century Panglong Conference, discusses challenges facing the peace process.
Ethnic issues Lead Story News Peace Process
A faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland will not be allowed to sign the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement because of the ethnic Naga armed group’s core demand for an independent Naga homeland spanning either side of the Burma-India border, according to government spokesperson Zaw Htay.
Interview Kachin Lead Story News
DVB sat down with Khon Ja to reflect on the year gone by and what the outlook for 2018 looks like in Kachin State.
Ethnic issues Lead Story News Peace Process
The New Mon State Party will sign the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement, marking the first time that an ethnic armed organisation has acceded to the accord since eight initial non-state signatories joined the previous government and military in formally agreeing to its terms over two years ago.
The government extended an invitation to the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang to join next month’s Union Peace Conference.
Legal experts suggest that the case brought against three detained journalists who are being charged under Burma’s Unlawful Associations Act lacks a sound basis upon which to pursue prosecution, given the specifics of the colonial-era legislation’s provisions.
Ethnic issues Lead Story News Peace Process
The dwindling alliance of ethnic armed groups joined under the United Nationalities Federal Council banner convenes a conference in Thailand chaired by a leader of one of its former members, the influential Kachin Independence Army.
Media freedom advocates have lashed out at the latest 66(d) suit filed by the Tatmadaw against a satirical columnist.
