Nay Pyi Taw, March (24)
The National Solidarity and Peacemaking Negotiation Committee (NSPNC) and three ethnic armed groups, the United Wa State Party (UWSP), the National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA) and the Shan State Progress Party (SSPP) held a meeting in Nay Pyi Taw on March 22 to hold an election and peace conference.
The meeting was attended by representatives from the military council, UWSP’s Vice President U Lau Yaku, NDAA’s Vice President U San Pae, SSPP’s Central Committee member Sao Sae Pai Pha, and Peace Team representatives.
At the meeting, the military council reported that they had mutually discussed the requirements, regional development and stability, elections, and the holding of a peace conference to amend the basic articles of the 2008 Constitution.
The two sides discussed the drafts in order to reach an agreement, and on March 23, they continued the discussion as a second day.
The Than Lwin Times reached out to UWSP and SSPP’s spokespersons by phone regarding the two-day talks, but did not receive any response.
U Than Soe Naing, a political analyst, considered that the discussion was to encourage the participation of EAOs in the election, and that the holding of the peace conference was just a show.
He added, “The peace conference to be held at the same time may include ethnic armed groups, some organizations cooperating with the military council, NCA-signatories, and some groups from the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC). However, organizations such as the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), Karenni Nationalities Defence Force (KNDF) and Karen National Union (KNU) engaging in the Spring Revolution will not be involved in the conference”.
The representatives from the UWSP, NDAA (Maingla) and SSPP held their third three-day meeting with the NSPNC in the first week of January.
The UWSP told Than Lwin Times that there was no comment or discussion on the general election and 2008 constitutional amendment presented by the military council during the discussion, and they just came to listen.
The UWSP, NDAA and SSPP are all members of the Northern Alliance of the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC).
In late April last year, the military council invited the ethnic groups to attend the peace talks, and seven NCA-signatories attended the third meeting in February this year, while three non-signatories attended the fourth meeting.
News-Than Lwin Times