Nay Pyi Taw, July 923)
The three northern ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) will not attend the military council’s planned peace conference, the Shan State Progressive Party (SSPP) told Than Lwin Times.
On July 20 and 21, representatives of the northern ethnic armed organizations, the United Wa State Party (UWSP), the National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA-Mongla), and the Shan State Progressive Party (SSPP), held talks with the National Solidarity and Peacemaking Negotiation Committee (NSPNC) in Nay Pyi Taw.
The military council said that they discussed the implementation of the previous talks’ points, the holding of the peace conference, the conditions of regional development activities, and the topics that the EAOs wish to discuss on the first day of the negotiations.
On the second day, according to the two-day negotiations, the views of both sides were further discussed, and the final agreements were signed and exchanged, according to the military council.
The SSPP’s spokesperson, Lt. Col. Sai Su, said that the peace conference has not yet been thoroughly discussed within the organization and that if the conference is held, his organization will not be able to attend.
Lt. Col. Sai Su indicated that this meeting was a review of the previous meeting’s topics, followed by the signing of an agreement.
On March 22 and 23, the Peace Talks Team (SPTT) held talks with three non-NCA signatories to discuss the election and peace conference.
Similarly, in the last week of June, the military council met with the ethnic armed organizations that have signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), such as the Pa’o National Liberation Organization (PNLO), the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA), the Karen Peace Council (KNU/KNLA-PC), the Lahu Democratic Union (LDU), and the Arakan State Liberation Party (ALP).
After that, the Military Council met with the New Mon State Party (NMSP) and the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) in the first and second weeks of July to discuss the issue of holding a peace conference.
Political analysts say that the ethnic armed groups meeting with the military council are not involved in the effort to end the military rule, hence, there is no possibility of a peace conference.
The military leader, General Min Aung Hlaing, said on July 13 that the situation is worst in the Chin and Karenni States, and Sagaing region and those regions needs to be tightened security.
Since the military coup, seven NCA-signatories and three non-NCA signatories have discussed with the military council at least five times.
News – Than Lwin Times
Photo: MOI