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.
The New Mon State Party and Lahu Democratic Union signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) on Tuesday, fulfilling a pledge that the two ethnic armed groups made last month to accede to an accord initially inked by eight non-state armies more than two years ago.
Aung San Suu Kyi reaffirms her commitment to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement at the second anniversary of the pact’s signing as Burma’s commander-in-chief urges holdouts to get on board and the leader of the most prominent ethnic armed signatory to the accord acknowledges doubts about the peace process.
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.
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DVB sat down with the general to ask just how close Burma is to ending six decades of civil war.
Kachin Lead Story News Peace Process
Lanyaw Zawng Hra says KIO came to the negotiating table with ‘an honest hope’ that political problems would be solved, but the Burmese government has its own agenda and wants ethnic armed groups eliminated.
Ethnic issues Lead Story News Peace Process
A conference for discussing nationwide ceasefire is being held in eastern Burma’s Karen state from 20 to 22 January. Leading officials from 18 ethnic armed groups met at the Karen National Union’s Law Khee La headquarters.
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Representatives of Burma’s main political parties, though not the USDP, sit for talks with officials of ethnic armed groups at a historic meeting in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where they are due to discuss the peace process, the ceasefire agreement and federalism.
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Ahead of talks with the government, UNFC vice-chairman Nai Hongsa reiterates the ethnic bloc’s demands.
Burma’s armed ethnic groups have fallen out over how to develop a federal union in the former military dictatorship, resulting in two rival conferences to discuss plans to end decades of civil conflict
Six major ethnic minority political parties that competed in the 2010 elections are planning to meet with armed groups to assist the government’s on-going peace plan
A member of the government’s Peace Commission says the United Wa State Army and the National Democratic Alliance Army, the latter also known as the “Mongla group,” accept the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement, an accord that the two influential ethnic armed groups had previously spurned.
How can we know when a patient comes in that he or she is an insurgent? Insurgents do not have the word, ‘insurgent’ written on their foreheads.”
Ethnic issues Lead Story News Peace Process
The New Mon State Party and Lahu Democratic Union will sign the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement on 13 February, with their accession to the accord marking one of the most substantive breakthroughs in Burma’s peace process since the National League for Democracy took power nearly two years ago.
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.
Gen. Gun Maw of the Kachin Independence Army posted a copy of Suu Kyi’s letter, dated 22 December, on his Facebook page.
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“Grassroots groups know what is happening in their area. Often the authorities do not,” said Ashin Awe Bar Tha.
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Human rights groups pour scorn on a Burmese military investigation into alleged atrocities against Rohingya Muslims, branding it a “whitewash” and calling for UN and independent investigators to be allowed into the country.
Ethnic issues Lead Story News Politics
The Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), Burma’s main ethnic Shan political party, has strongly criticised the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) for what it says is the latter’s neglect of the concerns and political representatives of ethnic minorities.
“Once UNFC is on the NCA path and is negotiating with the other parties involved, it can amend the things they do not want. There is nothing to be concerned about.”
The Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) and the Shan State Progressive Party (SSPP) must one day unite under the same banner, according to the leader of the former, who said that such a merger was ultimately necessary given Burma’s current political situation.
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.
A major member of the United Nationalities Federal Council, the Shan State Progressive Party, has submitted a resignation letter to the council, with the ethnic armed group on Sunday revealing its plans to leave the coalition.
Ethnic issues Lead Story News Peace Process
DPN and govt agree on principles that would pave the way towards a nationwide ceasefire agreement and kick-starting the peace process.
The Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) ethnic armed group has offered to assist the Arakan State government in securing its citizens as the western state continues to grapple with unrest.
Ethnic media groups say they will petition for the reporters’ release with letters to the Burmese president, state counsellor and commander-in-chief.
The government Peace Commission is preparing to meet “soon” with members of a recently formed alliance of ethnic armed groups based largely in Burma’s north, an apparent signal that the new coalition is increasingly viewed as an important factor in the peace process calculus.
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UPDJC agrees in principle to allow administrative regions and states a federal right to adopt their own constitutions, but only on the basis that they do not seek to break away from Burma.
The seven militias say they have formed a committee to negotiate with the government, but will not discuss the NCA.
“We cannot just agree to place our fate in the hands of the Burmese military, because then we are helpless if they deploy armed force against us,” said UNFC’s Nai Hong Sar.
