Myanmar gov't, ethnic groups set to resume ceasefire talks in Yangon

by Feng Yingqiu

YANGON, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Negotiators of Myanmar government and ethnic armed groups have been set to resume their formal talks at the Myanmar Peace Center in Yangon next Wednesday on seeking formal signing of a draft nationwide ceasefire accord (NCA).

The two-day fresh talks will be a follow-up of an informal one held in Chiangmai on July 2-3 between the government's Myanmar Peace Center and ethnic armed organization's senior delegation.

The 8th round of ceasefire talks between the government's Union Peace-Making Work Committee (UPWC) and the ethnic armed group's senior delegation is expected to focus on finalization of the NCA, all-inclusive in the signing, the role of the signatories and matter of international witnesses as outlined in the Chiangmai talks.

In the Chiangmai talks, the government side proposed signing of the NCA with 15 armed groups first and the others to be followed later.

In the upcoming Wednesday's resumed talks, the government delegation will be led by its Vice Chairman and Minister at the President's Office U Aung Min, while the EAO's senior delegation be headed by Naw Zipporah Sein, Vice Chairman of Karen National Union (KNU).

Invitations are being extended to the United Nations Special Envoy and the Special Envoy of China on Asian Affairs to attend the resumed talks as observers.

Government negotiator of the Myanmar Peace Center U Hla Maung Shwe disclosed that there will be negotiation also on a set of amendment to the draft NCA by the ethnic side.

The 15-member ethnic new negotiator was formed at the last ethnic summit conference in Law Khee Lar, Kayin state, held on June 9 and was assigned to further deal with the government.

That ethnic summit rejected the signing of the NCA until further amendment, insisting that all armed groups be included in the signing process.

The draft NCA was preliminarily signed between the government's Union Peace-Making Work Committee (UPWC) and the ethnic groups' Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) at the end of March after conclusion of more than one year's negotiation on the NCA.

The government on its part has indicated readiness to complete the formal signing over the draft NCA as soon as possible once it is adopted by top leadership of the ethnic side.

According to the draft NCA, the formal NCA signing by leaders of both sides is to be further forwarded to the parliament for approval and a framework for political dialogue is also to be drawn within two months with the dialogue to take place within three months.

The peace process began in November 2013 when UPWC and NCCT met in Myitgyina, Kachin state's capital, for the very first time for the nationwide ceasefire talks, while the last 7th round of talks took place in Yangon in March.

http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/article_xinhua.aspx?id=293072

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Naypyitaw urges Wa to sign NCA

Government negotiator U Aung Min recently exhorted representatives from the United Wa State Party/Army (UWSP/UWSA) at a meeting held in Rangoon to sign the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) draft that was finalized at the 9th meeting with the ethnic armed organizations’ Senior Delegation (SD) on 6-7 August, according to government sources.

U Aung Myint
(Photo: Irrawaddy)

The meeting between U Aung Min and the Wa delegation led by U Aung Myint aka Li Zhulie took place in the morning after the negotiations with the SD concluded.

U Aung Min reiterated the 4 guarantees that came with the NCA:

• The right to bear arms throughout the peace negotiations
• The right to participate in the political dialogue
• Immunity from the notorious Unlawful Associations Act, better known as Section 17/1
• Federal democracy

The UWSP/UWSA has so far maintained that it would not sign the NCA but would participate in the political dialogue. Since 1989 it has been at truce with the Burmese government.

Also according to Amsterdam based Transnational Institute (TNI), the Wa leaders are unhappy about the draft negotiated by the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT), the SD’s forerunner. It quoted Shan leader Lt-Gen Hso Ten saying: “The Wa are not satisfied with the NCCT, and think its approach is too soft, and feel it is appeasing too much. The Wa said ‘appeasement is defeatism’, and they want to unite all the armed groups and make them stronger than the NCCT.”

It is not clear whether it is pleased with the latest draft.

The Wa , since 1993, has also been calling for a separate statehood which should include the same areas as outlined in the 2008 constitution as well as the adjacent Mongpawk and Mongphen, which are currently incorporated in Mongyang township.

“If you don’t sign it,” U Aung Min was reported as saying,” there may arise two thorny problems to address:

• One is the Unlawful Association Act under which the UWSP/UWSA may become a liability
• And two, you may be allowed to attend political dialogues, but only as observers, not as participants.”

U Aung Myint said he didn’t have answers for them but would report back to his superiors and left, according to the sources.

The UWSP/UWSA is one of the 15 armed organizations that have signed bilateral agreements with Naypyitaw. According to unconfirmed reports, President Thein Sein recently sent out invitations to all the 15 groups to sign the NCA. No date was proposed, but sources say the government would wish to do it well before the elections in November.

http://english.panglong.org/naypyitaw-urges-wa-to-sign-nca/

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Statement of UNFC's NCCT

The Ethnic Armed Organizations’ Senior Delegation and Union Peace-making Work Committee Complete Last Day of 9th Meeting for Negotiations of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement
Yangon, Myanmar August 7, 2015

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သတင္းထုတ္ျပန္ေၾကျငာခ်က္
၂၀၁၅ခုႏွစ္၊ ၾသဂုတ္လ (၇) ရက္

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We invite the Government to make a ceasefire with us in order to make a nationwide ceasefire at the earliest possible time.
August 5th, 2015

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UN Special Envoy Vijay Nambiar, Opening Speech at EAO Summit, Law Khee Lar, Kawthoolei

Speech at Opening of Ethnic Armed Organisation Summit
Law Khee Lar
2 June 2015

Distinguished Leaders of the Ethnic Armed Organisations, Respected NCCT members and delegates.

Dear friends. I am honored to be invited here today at the Ethnic Armed Organisations summit in Law Khee Lar. It is a pleasure and privilege to visit Karen State at this time. I was last at the Ethnic Armed Organisation Summit with you in Laiza.

I speak on behalf of my colleague, Mariann and myself to say we are deeply honored that we have been invited to observe the peace dialogue between the UPWC and NCCT as well as internal deliberations on both sides. I know how much work you have all put together during the past two years and how long a road you have traversed through the decades in order to reach this point. We have been deeply impressed with the commitment and hard work shown by the NCCT and TAT members. They are all proud members of your groups and their work and results of a draft NCA deserve your trust and support.

Which is why I am today giving you an urgent and direct message. I shall be more direct than at our previous meetings, because I strongly feel that at the current stage, there is not much time left to capitalise on the work you have done so diligently for so long. I will explain why I feel this is so critical and urgent.

When we entered this process it was with the intention of opening up space for ethnic groups so that they could take their rightful place at the center of national politics together with other important players. The fighting between ethnic groups and government have been going on for far too long and as a consequence the ethnic groups have remained excluded and disenfranchised in Myanmar for far too long. We all know there is no military solution to the conflict in Myanmar. The only way forward is through a political dialogue that will give everyone a voice and space to work for their political rights. The Nationwide Ceasefire is only the first step and real trust and progress can only be made through implementing a ceasefire together as well as starting a credible political dialogue. This have to be done hand in hand with other stakeholders in the country. We believe that this process has taken its first fragile steps and there is a good chance that a better future for all may emerge from this process.

But the bigger picture cannot be lost sight of. Myanmar still has a long way to go to reach its stated democratic goals. Decades of military rule have left deep scars and challenges in development as well as capacity. Handling these issues in a holistic manner can only happen if the transition is peace-ful. The success of reforms in Myanmar will depend on a sustained peace in the country. Every transition is deeply difficult and fraught with setbacks, but we cannot wait until everything is perfect. We cannot allow the best to become the enemy of the good. If we do that we may get neither peace nor democracy.

The simple point is that the future of Myanmar rests in your hands. A huge and important responsibility rests upon you all today, not only to make the choices based on what you will regard as the best possible outcome for your respective groups individually but for all of you collectively. As responsible leaders, you have already taken a strategic decision to walk down a road of a common destiny for all of you. You do not as yet have all the details of the road you will traverse or a guarantee of when you will reach all your goals but you have a reasonably good blueprint to start with.

I shall also be abrupt and say we do not know what will happen after the elections. We do not know what the country will look like a year from now.

We must be optimistic, but at the same time sitting back and hoping for better opportunities may be risky. It may also diminish the opportunity for you as leaders of the ethnic groups to be at the center of this political transition. We at the UN do see the ethnic minorities as potentially playing a major role in the power equation of a new Myanmar.

Clearly there are risks in any transition. The current government has made some promises that have long been asked for by ethnic groups as well as by the international community. Only by starting the process of a political dialogue can we begin to see if these promises can be delivered. If the process can be started before the elections and with the support of the international community, I feel there is a greater possibility to ensure that a succeeding government after the election to be willing to commit to it. But for all this to happen, time is of the essence.

As of now there may not be much time for a lengthy process before the elections. Signing an NCA and establishing a political dialogue may serve as a stabilising factor. It is critical that we get such a process started as soon as possible.

For this to happen you will require to make some concessions. You will require to move forward even while there may continue to be fighting in some areas. But my hope is that you will be able to create a forceful dynamic that will help you deal with the challenges that remain. More than that, I will say that even if there will be many risks in this approach, they are still less than the risks of delay and of missing this opportunity.

So I will ask you above all to keep your courage. And also to remember that you are doing this for your own people. Your people, especially your youth and children depend on you to bring them a better quality of life for the future. Only then will the sacrifices of your forefathers have been worth it.

The UN will lend you all the support we can muster in this process. However, if such a process were to be delayed until after the elections, even we may not be able to say with certainty what the scenario from the UN angle will be. But nailing it down now, could bring greater immediate commitment from the UN as well as the international community.

Many negative voices are heard about the peace process. Around the world we have seen peace processes carry on miserably for decades on end and cause frustration and disappointments. In Myanmar you have managed to come so, far in a such a small time, with so many stakeholders in the process. This is amazing by any standard. Let me assure you that I am proud to be here as an Observer at your peace talks.

But you need to take one more, brave leap of faith as the Secretary-General himself has told you. I hope this meeting will help you move forward in this leap of faith.

Thank you.

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Ethnic Summit Confident of Ceasefire Agreement Despite Resignations

Delegates at the ethnic summit at Law Khee Lar on Thursday. (Photo: Thaw Hein Htet)

LAW KHEE LAR, Karen State — Ethnic leaders on Friday were continuing to deliberate over the draft text of the nationwide ceasefire agreement, with those present broadly in agreement that the document would eventually be signed despite the attempted resignation of three armed groups from the ethnic negotiating team.

Nai Hong Sar, chairman of the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT), told a press conference on Thursday that he was not yet able to set a date for the signing of the ceasefire agreement, as further amendments and additions would be needed to create a draft text suitable to the ethnic negotiating team’s members. He was optimistic that the agreement would be signed in the future, but said the NCCT’s members had determined they would not sign if any of the group’s members were excluded.“We will sign the nationwide ceasefire agreement when all members from the NCCT are able to participate,” he told journalists. “This is our general agreement, but we need to discuss further. We will not sign if the military does not accept the participation of the three groups.”

Nai Hong Sar was referring to the Arakan Army, the Ta’ang National Liberation Army and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, three groups which are currently battling the Burma Armed Forces and have been excluded from the draft text. All three armed groups submitted their resignation to the NCCT on Thursday, claiming they distrust government negotiators and feel betrayed by their ethnic counterparts, but Nai Hong Sar appeared to imply later that day that the ethnic bloc would attempt to prevent their departure.

“We could not let our members leave from the NCCT,” he said. “If we let them leave, the government will succeed in their goal to to divide and rule among our ethnic groups.”

He added that to let the three groups resign would demonstrate a lack of unity amongst the country’s ethnic armed groups and a genuine nationwide peace settlement would be unattainable.

Thursday’s attempted resignation was not the first time disunity between the various factions at the Law Khee Lar summit has boiled over into the public.

Representatives of the Karen National Union (KNU) and the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) appeared to take different lines during their speeches at the conference, with the former advocating the signing of the ceasefire accord in the near future, and the latter urging a delay to consider the implications of any agreement.

Disagreements between the two ethnic groups date back to the 1990s. As a member of the National Democratic Alliance, the KIO signed a bilateral ceasefire in 1993, allowing the Burmese military to redouble its efforts against the Karen insurgents to the south. The year after renewed fighting in Kachin State broke out in 2011, the KNU signed a ceasefire agreement with Naypyidaw, allowing the military to devote its resources to battling the Kachin Independence Army in the north.

Other participants at the Law Khee Lar summit have echoed Nai Hong Sar’s call for a united front among ethnic representatives during negotiations with the government.

“If we do not have unity between us, we will not be able to find common ground on what we agree is important, which is asking the government for a real federal union,” said Arakan Liberation Party vice-chairman Khaing Soe Naing Aung during a speech on Thursday. “We should all have one voice.”

Representatives from both the KIO and the KNU insisted that all ethnic armed groups were permitted to participate in the agreement if the signing is to go ahead.

“We want to bring all members of the NCCT to sign the ceasefire agreement,” Zipporah Sein, the KNU vice-chairwoman, told The Irrawaddy. “The government doesn’t want want three armed groups to participate, but we will sign it when all members can participate. We have already made this decision. The government should stop fighting in northern Shan State if they want us to sign it.”

Arakan Liberation Party member and senior NCCT member Saw Myat Yar Zar Lin told The Irrawaddy that the Law Khee Lar meeting is expected to conclude by Saturday.

By LAWI WENG /     @ THE IRRAWADDY

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International Pressure on Ethnic Armies to Ink Ceasefire

The leaders of ethnic armed groups gathered for a summit on Tuesday in Law Khee Lar, Karen State. (Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy)

LAW KHEE LAR, Karen State — Envoys from the United Nations and China joined one of Burma’s most powerful ethnic armed groups on Tuesday in urging ethnic leaders to sign a nationwide ceasefire agreement with the government, at the opening of a summit here to discuss the issue.

Mutu Say Poe, chairman of the Karen National Union (KNU), spoke at the meeting, acknowledging that the gathered ethnic representatives had a variety of interests to consider as they debate the merits of a draft accord for which a declaration of support was signed by ethnic leaders in late March.

“This meeting will be an important meeting to make a political platform for the future of our ethnic armed groups. Regarding the signing of the NCA [nationwide ceasefire accord], I want to give my thoughts: There are different armed groups in our NCCT, and we have different political interests,” he said, referring to the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team, a grouping of 16 ethnic armed groups.

“Should we abandon what we have in the current agreement from the draft NCA or take what we have got?” Mutu Say Poe continued.

He encouraged NCCT members with reservations about the agreement to embrace a “culture of negotiation” that four years of peace talks had fostered.

“Political conflicts must be solved with political dialogue, this is the political stance and commitment of our KNU,” he said, adding that the draft ceasefire was not a perfect agreement.

“I want to say to you all that we will not get all the rights that we want from this draft NCA. It is not a comprehensive draft, but we need to negotiate more to get our rights via political talks. This draft is just an agreement to talk more,” he said, asking ethnic leaders to “be brave” and sign onto the accord.

The KNU chairman also addressed ongoing fighting in northeastern Burma, where clashes between the Burma Army and armed Palaung, Kokang and Arakanese rebels have led some ethnic leaders to question the government’s commitment to the peace process.

The fighting “should not disturb the peace talks,” he said, a sentiment no doubt easier said than done for some of the summit’s attendees, who have in recent months fought some of the fiercest battles in Burma’s civil war since the late 1980s.

The UN special adviser on Burma, Vijay Nambiar, and the Chinese envoy Sun Guoxiang attended the meeting as international observers and also gave remarks on Tuesday in support of the ceasefire’s signing.

Nambiar said it was important that ethnic armed groups sign the agreement before elections due late this year, so that a political dialogue with the government could begin “as soon as possible.”

“This will require you to make some concessions,” he added.

Conversations with ethnic leaders on Tuesday revealed varying perspectives on the state of Burma’s peace process, and whether members of the NCCT should sign the nationwide ceasefire agreement.

N’Ban La, the joint chairman of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), told The Irrawaddy that the KIO would sign a nationwide ceasefire agreement only if it guaranteed a future federal system of government for Burma.

Phone Win Naing, a communications officer from the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), said that his group would not sign the nationwide ceasefire unless the ethnic Kokang were afforded equal rights.

The MNDAA has been the target of a sustained campaign by the Burma Army to rid the Kokang Special Region of the insurgent group, after MNDAA fighters first attacked the city of Laukkai on Feb. 9.

“Other people do not understand our situation. We understand our situation. Why would we sign an NCA if we do not get our political rights,” Phone Win Naing told The Irrawaddy on the sidelines of Tuesday’s meeting.

The MNDAA is a member of the NCCT, but the government does not recognize its seat at the negotiating table, nor the claims to NCCT membership of the Arakan Army.

A leader from the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) reiterated a position, taken by the MNDAA, TNLA and Arakan Army, that the three ethnic armed groups would resign from the NCCT if its other members went ahead with signing the nationwide ceasefire accord.

Supporters of Burma’s peace process hope the Law Khee Lar meeting will be the final word on whether ethnic armed groups will sign the nationwide ceasefire accord.

Last month, however, NCCT chief Nai Hong Sar said ethnic leaders were considering changes to the draft accord, which Naypyidaw’s chief peace negotiator has said could protract Burma’s peace process.

“He [President’s Office Minister Aung Min, the government’s lead peace negotiator] did not want us to add more new points to the NCA draft, but our members generally have discussed adding a few more points to the draft. However, we can only decide at this meeting [in Law Khee Lar] whether we will get agreement from all our members about adding more new points,” said Nai Hong Sar.

Out of 22 ethnic armed groups invited to the summit this week, three have decided not to join, according to Nai Hong Sar. The United Wa State Army (UWSA), National Democracy Alliance Army (NDAA) and the Restoration Council of Shan State opted out, he told The Irrawaddy.

Law Khee Lar, situated along the Thai-Burma border, is controlled by the KNU’s Brigade 7 and also played host to a meeting of ethnic leaders in January 2014.

In a testament to the decades of conflict that has ravaged the region, a KNU leader warned journalists on Monday not to stray from a designated zone that was determined to be free of landmines.

The summit in Law Khee Lar is expected to conclude on Saturday.

By LAWI WENG /   @ THE IRRAWADDY

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NCCT: No Wa or Shan Groups at Law Khee Lar Conference Will Not Affect Nationwide Ceasefire

A senior member of the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team explained to Karen News that the United Wa State Army (UWSA) and Restoration Council of Shan Sate/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) will not attend a conference to discuss the nationwide ceasefire draft documents.

Padoh Kwe Htoo Win, a senior member of the NCCT told Karen News that the “conference is about informing the remaining member groups about what the NCCT has already contained in the NCA final draft.”

Padoh Kwe Htoo Win said that the two groups were invited to the conference the UWSA and the RCSS/SSA are invited to give their suggestions on the NCA. They are not attending because they think it might seem as if they are not directly involved. It will not affect the NCA process.”

Padoh Kwe Htoo Win said that 21-armed ethnic groups, including UWSA, RCSS/SSA and Naga groups have been invited to the Lawkheelar Conference that will run from, 2nd to 6th June to discuss the draft of the NCA that was signed in March between the NCCT and the Government’s Peace-Making Working Committee (UPWC).

Karen News understand that in their responding letter on May 26th, the UWSA and the RCSS/SSA explained that as they are not members of the NCCT that is composed of 16 armed ethnic groups they would not be sending representatives to the Lawkheelar Conference, taking place in the Karen National Union controlled area, in Hlaingbwe Township, Karen State.

A RCSS/SSA spokesperson, General Sai Hla told Karen News “It may seem as if we are not participating in the ethnic causes, but we are going to be involved. This is a NCCT internal matter. We are waiting the results of the NCCT leaders negotiations and after that we will discuss and analysis the result.”

The first armed ethnic conferences to discuss a nationwide ceasefire was held in Liaza Town, the Kachin Independent Army Headquarters, in October 2013, the second conference was in held January 2014 at Lawkheelar under the control of the KNU and the third conference was also held in Laiza in July 2014

http://karennews.org/2015/06/ncct-no-wa-or-shan-groups-at-law-khee-lar-conference-will-not-affect-nationwide-ceasefire.html/

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Political parties, armed movements begin fusion of framework drafts

Since 16 May, representatives from political parties and armed movements have been holding brainstorming sessions to combine their drafts of framework for political dialogue (FPD).

General Mutu Saypoe, President, Karen National Union, opening the forum, Inya Lake, 9 May 2015. (Photo:KNDO)

They include those from the National League for Democracy (NLD), United Nationalities Alliance (UNA), “56 parties”, the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT), Karen National Union (KNU) and the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS).

All have agreed that waiting for the signing of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), that was agreed on the March by the drafters from both the government and the ethnic armed organizations (EAOs), would consume a lot of time that they can ill afford.

According to the draft NCA, the Framework for Political Dialogue (FPD) would be negotiated and agreed upon within 60 days after the signing of the NCA, followed by the launching of the Political Dialogue (PD) within the next 30 days.

“We now have only 3 months remain before the election campaigns begin in September,” a participant of the informal brainstorming sessions said. “So if we are going to wait until the NCA is signed to begin the FPD process, it is more than likely we may not be able to finish in 2 months time. What we are trying to do is to combine all the FPD drafts available in order to present them in a single text to the NCA signatories.”

So far there are 4 known FPD drafts prepared by the NLD, UNA, “56” parties and the NCCT.

The ongoing FPD sessions are the result of the Peace and National Reconciliation Forum held at Inya Lake Hotel on 9 May, and participated by 152 representatives from the government, 7 EAOs, 64 political parties and civil society organizations. The co-hosts of the forum were the 4 EAOs and 55 political parties that had signed the Deed of Commitment (DoC) with the President, Union Parliament Speaker and 3 top military officers on the Union Day, 12 February.

“The DoC does not seek either overshadowing or annulment of the NCA,” the forum had declared “On the contrary, it is to strengthen and complement it.”

The DoC has promised to launch the political dialogue before the elections.

“From September to March 2016, after the new government is installed,” said a participant at the forum, “the peace process machine can be kept warmed up by the launch of the political dialogue. Then we won’t have to start it from scratch.”

Concern was expressed during the 15 May Economist Myanmar Summit that if the NCA was not signed before the elections, there would be no military code of conduct (CoC) for both belligerents to observe and no Joint Monitoring Committees (JMCs) to curb the ever-present danger of ceasefire violations by either side.

panglong.org

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Burma ceasefire agreement: One step forward, two steps back

Burmese army soldiers patrol a road in Kokang, northeastern Shan State. Pic: AP.

The signing of a nationwide ceasefire (NCA) in Burma (Myanmar) seems as distant as ever following the release of a 12 point statement issued by the participants of the ethnic armed organisations (EAO) leaders meeting.

The meeting, involving the senior leaders of 12 ethnic groups, was organised by the United Wa State Army (UWSA) and held at their headquarters in Pangsang, Eastern Shan State from May 1-6.

The Burmese military and government will have no problems with some of the points made in the statement.

These include: a promise from the ethnic groups that they will not secede from the union; a call for all inclusive political dialogue to include the government, parliament, the army, political parties, ethnic groups and civil society organisations (CSOs); and a call for all parties involved in the peace process to have mutual respect for each other because there is a need to build unity between Burmese and non-Burmese.

Other points are similar to clauses in ceasefire agreements made between individual ethnic groups and the government that the army have had no qualms about breaking.

These include: a call to reject the use of force to solve political problems and instead to use political, and the stopping of human rights violations in ethnic areas.

There are other points in the statement that the government and army will be be far less likely to accept. This could cause long delays to the ratification of the draft NCA that was signed on March 31 between the Union Peace-making Work Committee (UPWC) representing the government and the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) representing ethnic groups.

Two points call for much the same thing; one calls for an end to the fighting in Northern Shan State and Kachin State, while the other statement calls for an end to fighting in Northern Burma. These areas include the Kokang area in Northern Shan State that has seen a lot of heavy fighting recently between the Burma Army and the Myanmar Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) or Kokang Group, and to a lesser extent the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the Arakan Army (AA).

The Burma Army has a record of agreeing to such demands before signing a ceasefire before later breaking them with impunity. What makes it less likely that they will agree to these points this time is the call by the ethnic groupss for the ceasefire in Northern Burma to be monitored by U.N. and Chinese peacekeepers.

Another point that the government is likely to find unacceptable is that the constitution will have to be changed to guarantee ethnic rights, self-determination and a federal union before the NCA can be signed.

The government has been very resistant to changing the constitution despite pressure from many groups, including the U.S. government, ahead of elections later this year. The government has also previously said there is no need to formalise a federal union.

The statements the government and army are likely to have the biggest problems with are: all EAOs must have the right to sign the NCA even if they have not previously individually signed a ceasefire agreement with the government and that a group that includes representatives from all EAOs should be allowed to negotiate with the government and participate in political dialogue.

This is likely to cause problems because the government is adamant that it will not recognise the MNDAA or the AA, whilst the TNLA has not signed a ceasefire with the government.

The army’s animosity against these groups is so great that it was threatening to arrest their leaders as they travelled to the Pangsang conference, even though such an action could have ruined the conference. The army did not act on that threat, but the government did warn journalists that they could face prosecution for reporting on the conference if they were seen to be in contact with members of an illegal organisation.

Another point that the government will disapprove of is the support from all the conference participants for the formation of a Wa State.

The statement concludes that another conference of ethnic leaders will be held “at a convenient time”.

There was hope that the Pansang conference would move the NCA signing process forward, but it appears not to have really clarified anything or advanced the NCA signing process in any meaningful way.

As is so often the case with the peace process in Burma, it appears that it has gone one step forward whilst going two steps back.

The 12 points in the Statement from the participants at the EAO Leaders Conference in Pansang are:

1. We reject the use of force. Political problems have to be solved by political means.
2. All ceasefire groups and non-ceasefire groups must have the right to sign the NCA.
3. The fighting in Northern Shan State and Kachin State must stop because it causes distrust.
4. Human rights violations in ethnic areas must stop.
5. The constitution has to be amended to guarantee ethnic rights, self-determination and a federal union.
6. We will not secede from the union
7. Fighting in Northern Burma must stop and the U.N. and China must monitor the ceasefire.
8. There must be all-inclusive political dialogue that includes the government, parliament, the army, political parties, EAOs and civil society organisations.
9. We all live together in the union, so we should have mutual respect and help each other. We need to build unity between Burmese and non-Burmese.
10. A group that includes representatives of all EAO groups should negotiate with the government and participate in political dialogue.
11. Conference participants support the proposal for the formation of a Wa State.
12. The United Wa State Party/Army will organise another EAO leaders conference at a convenient time.

The author would like to thank Sai Leik of the Myanmar Peace Monitor for translating the statement points above from Burmese into English.

Copy Right Asiancorrespondent

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Wa will not be NCA signatory

The United Wa State Army (UWSA) says due to its different situation from other ethnic armed organizations (EAOs), the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) draft as negotiated by the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) with the government is unacceptable, according to the Wa supreme leader Bao Youxiang’s message in Burmese read our today on the last day of the 12-EAO conference in Pangkham.

Nevertheless, it is ready to join hands with brotherhood organizations to hold political dialogue with the government “for the achievement of racial equality, political equality and equitable sharing of natural resources.”

“Your discussions about existing political inequality, your opposition to armed resolution, and your stand on resolution of ethnic issues through political dialogue are all in line with the position of the ‘Wa State’,” the 66-year old chairman said.

The 12 point joint demands/ resolutions include:

1. Resolution of the civil war through political means
2. Inclusion of EAOs yet to conclude ceasefire with the government in the signing of the NCA
3. Cessation of government offensives in Kachin, Palaung, Kokang and Arakan areas
4. Curbs on further human rights abuse
5. Amendment of 2008 constitution to build up a federal union based on democracy, racial equality and right of self determination
6. There will be no secession from the union
7. Welcomes UN and China’s efforts to bring about cessation of hostilities in northern Burma and the signing of the NCA
8. Nationwide political dialogue must include representatives from government, parliament, Tatmadaw (Burmese military), political parties, the people and the EAOs
9. Need to cultivate the spirit of peaceful co-existence among different nationalities
10. EAOs will form a representative body to hold talks with the government
11. The majority EAOs attending the summit have shown understanding and support for the Wa call for a state level status
12. More meetings will be held in order to further discuss and implement the points agreed at the summit

Update

12:oo

The “joint statement”, latest reports say, is still a draft for discussion. “The     conference is still haggling over the 12 points,” said the source.

Updated: 20:00, 6 May 2015

The final version of the 12-point statement is not much different to what has been translated above, except #12 that such meetings will be hosted by the United Wa State Party,

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3 Ethnic Rebel Groups Threaten Rejection of Nationwide Ceasefire

Arakan Army Commander-in-Chief Brig-Gen. Tun Myat Naing attends an ethnic armed groups’ conference in Wa region’s Panghsan town on Monday. (Photo: JPaing /The Irrawaddy)

PANGHSANG, Wa Special Region — Three ethnic armed groups battling the Burma Army are threatening to reject a preliminary agreement on a nationwide ceasefire accord reached in March because the government refuses to recognize their political demands and continues to launch operations against them.

The position of the groups—three smaller armies from the Palaung, Arakanese and Kokang ethnic minority areas—could not only complicate their participation in a nationwide agreement, but also that of the powerful United Wa State Army (UWSA), which in recent days has called for the inclusion of the groups in the ceasefire process.

Tar Bong Kyaw, general secretary of the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), told a meeting of ethnic leaders in Panghsang on Monday that his ethnic Palaung rebel group believes it would not serve its interests to sign the draft accord under current conditions.

“There are many problems with the draft [ceasefire]. Representatives from the NCCT and UWPC signed a [preliminary] agreement, but there are many points in the draft that we could not agree with,” Tar Bong Kyaw told The Irrawaddy.

On March 31, the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT), which represents a coalition of 16 ethnic rebel groups, agreed in principle with the government’s Union Peacemaking Work Committee (UPWC) on the content of a nationwide ceasefire accord.

The government said it is eager to sign the accord, but NCCT groups said they have to review it with their respective leaders first.

Meanwhile, the UWSA has organized a conference in the Wa Special Region capital of Panghsang on May 1-6 to bring together NCCT groups and non-NCCT armed groups in order to discuss the proposed accord.

Tar Bong Kyaw told the conference that the government was trying to divide the ethnic armed groups by refusing to recognize and continuing to fight the Palaung, Arakanese and Kokang rebels, while including other groups in a nationwide accord.

“The government will not accept the other three groups to participate in political talks, even though they might want to sign the [accord]. It’s very clear they are trying to divide the alliance of ethnic armed groups. This is very dangerous,” said Tar Bong Kyaw.

Brig-Gen. Tun Myat Naing, commander-in-chief of the Arakan Army, told the meeting that there was no point in supporting the accord if the government refused recognize his group’s political demands and continued to launch attacks against it.

“They [the Burma Army] fights against our ethnics, including the Palaung, Kokang and our Arakanese people. They cut off aid for our refugees; they have no food and drink. This situation could hurt our peace talks,” he said.

Tun Myat Naing added his organization would like to see the Constitution amended soon as it would support the success of the nationwide ceasefire process.

The Arakan Army is a small rebel group from western Burma’s Arakan State that has joined ethnic rebels in northern Burma. In recent weeks, it tried to infiltrate northern parts of its home state and clashes erupted with the government that have displaced hundreds of civilians, many of who have gone without emergency aid.

The Kokang rebels of the Myanmar Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) have been involved in heavy fighting with the Burma Army since February in Laukkai Township in northern Shan State. The TNLA and Arakan Army have fought alongside it. The Irrawaddy understands the MNDAA also rejects the ceasefire accord.

The Arakan Army and the MNDAA are NCCT members, but the government refuses to recognize them as such. The TNLA is a NCCT member, but lacks a bilateral ceasefire with the government. It is unclear if the government recognizes the TNLA as a NCCT member.

A government advisor at the Myanmar Peace Center has previously been quoted as saying that the government could sign a “nationwide ceasefire,” while continuing to fight the MNDAA.

The NCCT includes most of the country’s major armed groups, such as the Kachin Independence Army, the Karen National Union, the Shan State Army-North and the New Mon State Party.

The UWSA, the country’s most powerful rebel army with some 20,000 men under arms, is not a NCCT member, nor is its smaller neighbor the Mongla group, but both armies have long-standing bilateral ceasefires with Naypyidaw. It has been an observer to the 18-month-long ceasefire negotiations.

In recent days, the UWSA leaders have finally tried to weigh in on the nationwide ceasefire process by saying that it should include the Arakan Army, the MNDAA and the TNLA, and have pledged solidarity with them.

UWSA Chairman Bao Youxiang said in rare interview on Monday that inclusion of all ethnic groups and reforms to the Constitution were preconditions for Wa support for the nationwide ceasefire accord.

“The country will have peace if the government can represent all people in the country. The government can not only represent their people when working for development,” said Bao Youxiang during an interview with journalists at the Wa headquarters located in the semi-autonomous Wa Special Region on the Burma-China border.

“The main key is to have amendments to the Constitution. If there are amendments to the Constitution, other ethnic groups, including our Wa, will sign the [accord],” the chairman said in comments that were translated into Burmese by UWSA spokesman Aung Myint.

The military-drafted 2008 charter centralizes powers over Burma’s ethnic areas and its natural resources with the central government and the Burma Army. The ethnic groups want to see a federal union of Burma instead that grants them regional autonomy.

“After there is no more fighting, the country will have peace and development. Then, our ethnic groups could build their modern towns like our Wa people have done,” said Bao Youxiang.

Copy right By LAWI WENG / THE IRRAWADDY

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Wa leader: Arrogance will not bring peace

Zhao Guo-an, the United Wa State Army (UWSA)’s representative, yesterday warned the country’s military that pride and prejudice were in the way of peace.

Zhao Guo-an (left) and Xiao Minliang (right)

“There will be no peace as long as Burmese Big Nation chauvinism and arrogance persist,” the group’s chief of external affairs is quoted as saying. “The key to the political dialogue phase is ceasefire in the whole country.”

“Exclusion of any group will not bring peace,” he added.

Nevertheless, the UWSA, accused of supporting several warring groups along its border, especially the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), Ta-ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the Arakan Army (AA), against the Burma Army’s some 80 infantry battalions fighting in the neighboring Kokang, vowed not to be the one to fire first.

“Our standing policy is to hold the flag of peace and democracy in the one hand and to hold the flag of self defense in the other,” said the group’s vice chairman Xiao Minliang. “We will never fire the first shot. Nor we will be persuaded to fight another group.”

He guaranteed that any party that emerges as the winner of the 2015 elections will be supported by the UWSA. “However, in order to avoid complications, we will not allow any party, except for the United Wa State Party (UWSP), to conduct campaigns in our state,” he said.

Participants from the 11 United armed organizations are to travel to Mongmai, north of Panghsang, to see the coffee and tea plantations there today. The conference is to conclude tomorrow.

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12 ethnic armed organisations to attend summit in Panghsang

Ethnic Armed Forces Summit in Laiza, Kachin State in July 2014. (Photo-EMG)

Deputy Secretary Aung Myint of the Central Office of the United Wa State Army (UWSA) announced that only 12 ethnic armed groups will attend the Ethnic Armed Forces Summit this year.

The summit will be held on May 1 in Panghsang, Shan State. The summit organisers sent invitations to only 12 ethnic organisations and said no other groups will be invited.

When asked who will attend the summit the summit, Aung Myint said: “The delegates will be those who hold the top positions — chairpeople, vice-chairpeople, colonels and the like. Of course, this includes their secretaries and staff."

The following 12 groups were invited to the summit: Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO/KIA), Karen National Union (KNU), Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), Pa-Oh National Liberation Organisation (PNLO), New Mon-State Party (NMSP), UWSA, Palaung State Liberation Front (PSLF/TNLA), Arakan Army (AA), Shan State Progressive Party (SSPP/SSA), Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA).

PNLO chairman Khun Myint Tun said: “[The organisers] told us this event is as per the suggestion of our brother armed forces who are also fighting for independence. They will be receiving support from KIO and NDAA in organising this event. One party brings three representatives, those holding high positions. The main point of discussion will be finding a path to nationwide peace."

Chairman Khun Myint Tun, Vice-chairman and Chief of Staff Col Khun Thurein and Deputy Chief of Staff Lt-Col Khun Mann will represent the PNLO at the summit.

The UWSA chose to invite only 12 groups, even though the NCCT has advised them to include more groups in the summit. Only 9 of the 16 NCCT member groups received invitations.

The seven groups that were not part invited are: Chin National Front (CNF), Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), KNU's Peace Council, Lahu Democratic Union (LDU), Wa National Organisation (WNO), Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) and Arakan National Council (ANC).

The All Burma Student's Democratic Front (ABSDF) and Naga group, which currently have a ceasefire with the government, were also not invited.

"NCCT will be invited as representative of their group which means not every member of the NCCT will be invited. ABSDF was not invited because at their core, they do not represent an ethnicity. You can think about it that way. As for DKBA and the peace council, since it was stated before that since (KNU) is the mother group, only KNU is necessary to attend. Lahu and ANC can been taken as not invited due to no decisions so far from the government on ceasefire with them. But it interests me as to why ALP and CNF were not invited. It became something to think about. I have never heard of any trouble at all between the Wa people and Chin people. Chins, Nagas and Wa people are close together. If Naga is not in the picture at all then we need to think about why the groups from areas bordering India are left out. This is just my opinion. ALP is based very close to India. CNF is situated between India and Bangladesh. The other one is Naga. It might be true or not true but as far as one can think, groups from western side of Myanmar were all not invited," said an inside source from the ethnic armed forces.

Although there are still battles as well as no talks of ceasefire yet between the government, MNDAA and AA, they were invited.

The local and international news media that are to be allowed to cover the summit will be released some time later, according to Aung Myint.

Copyright©  Eleven Myanmar

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