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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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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Wa desperate for allies: Ethnic leader

The United Wa State Army (UWSA)’s recent hosting of the 6-day ‘summit’ in Panghsang, its headquarters on the Sino-Burmese border, was inevitable as it is desperately in need of more allies, according to a prominent leader from an ethnic armed organization.

“8 of the 10 Burma Army’s light infantry divisions are in Kokang (the UWSA’s northern neighbor),” he explained. “Naypyitaw doesn’t need such a big force to subdue Peng Jiasheng (Kokang leader of the Myanmar National Democratic Army).”

The MNDAA, the Wa’s ally, is estimated to be 2,000 strong compared to the estimated 30,000 strong UWSA, reported to be equipped with anti-aircraft guns and missiles.

“One weakness of the UWSA is that the Burma Army can use anti-narcotics campaign as a pretext to fight it,” he added. “So without having allies that enjoy solid reputation as politically-motivated EAOs, it may have to fight a lone war against the Burma Army.”

But the Wa, by all accounts, also appear to be brazenly asking for the leading role in the joint struggle. Why?

“They may have ample reasons to be self-confident, “he replied. He refused to elaborate.

Meanwhile, one of the officers from the Shan State Army (SSA) “North” told SHAN, “The conflict in the north, I believe, is developing into another proxy war between China and the US.”

But another SSA officer rejected, saying, “I think this is going too far. We need more facts and data before arriving at such conclusions. But if it is true, the fragile unity of the EAOs may be further fragmented.”

The EAOs are due to meet at Law Khee Lar, the Karen National Union (KNU) stronghold on the Thai-Burmese border, 2-6 June, to consider whether or not to approve the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) draft finalized between their representatives and the government on 31 March.

panglong.org

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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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