Hpakang, October (27)
Political observers have criticized the silence of the ethnic armed groups (EAOs) who have held peace talks with the Military Council on the incident in which dozens of civilians were killed and injured due to the military’s aerial bombardment in the A Nang Pa area of Hpakant Township, Kachin State.
The Military Council bombed a KIO’s anniversary concert in the A Nang P area of the 9th Brigade of the Kachin Liberation Organization (KIO) at around 8:30 pm on October 23.
As of October 25, around 80 people have been killed and around 150 injured in the airstrike.
The National Unity Government (NUG), ethnic armed organizations, revolutionary forces, and political forces issued various statements condemning the regime’s brutal attack because many ethnic people were killed in the airstrike.
However, the ethnic armed organizations that have signed a ceasefire agreement with the military council and held peace talks twice have not issued any condemnatory statements regarding the A Nang Pa incident, either as an organization or as the Peace Process Steering Team (PPST).
U Than Soe Naing, a political analyst, criticized the NCA-signatory EAOs who never blamed the military council for committing war crimes and said that they are seeking political benefits in cooperation with the military regime. Therefore, they remain silent on such incidents.
The National Unity Government (NUG) announced on October 24 that since the military coup in Myanmar, the junta army has carried out almost 240 airstrikes across the country, killing 200 civilians.
An ethnic affairs analyst also criticized that it is shameful that EAOs such as the New Mon State Party (NMSP) and the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), which signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), are unable to put any pressure on the military council, which is committing war crimes, even by issuing a political statement.
The PPST, the Peace Process Steering Team formed by the ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) that signed the NCA, will discuss the incident at the next PPST meeting, PPST spokesperson Colonel Saw Kyaw Nyunt told Than Lwin Times.
PPST is comprised of the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS); Arakan Liberation Party (ALP); KNU/KNLA Peace Council (KPC); the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA); Pao National Liberation Organization (PNLO); Lahu Democratic Union (LDU) and New Mon State Party (NMSP).
The Karen National Union (KNU), the Chin National Front (CNF) and the All Burma Students’ Democratic Front (ABSDF), which are currently fighting with the military council, have reduced their participation in the Peace Process Steering Team (PPST).
On the 7th anniversary of the signing of the NCA, PPST announced that it is carrying out to protect the civilians and hold meaningful political discussions with all concerned parties and to solve the political problem in a political manner in order to free the public from the current political crisis.
News – Than Lwin Times
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