Nine EAOs including ‘UWSA’ confirm meeting with the Chief Commander for the country’s peace
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Myo/Mon - (NP News) - May 9
A total of nine Ethnic Armed Organizations including the United Wa State Army(UWSA) have confirmed to attend the peace talk invited by the Chairman of the State Administration Council Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the Information Team leader of the SAC Major General Zaw Min Tun told the NP News.
Among the NCA signatory groups, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army(DKBA), KNU/ KNLA – PC, Pa-O National Liberation Organization(PNLO), New Mon State Party(NMSP), Arakan Liberation Party(ALP), and Restoration Council of Shan State/ Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA)have confirmed attending the talk.
From Non-signatory groups, United Wa State Army (UWSA), National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA), and Shan State Progress Party/ Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA) have provided their representative lists to the SAC to meet with the Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, said Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun.
“As all have witnessed, some groups released their statements respectively saying that they won’t attend the peace talk. On the other hand, some groups contacted and informed us that they are still discussing the issue, and requested to wait for a while. We will wait for those groups as they are discussing within themselves,” Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun said.
The peace talks will reportedly be conducted separately meeting with the respective group instead of convening one day.
The Information Team leader Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun added, “We will convene the events as soon as possible but the days will be arranged under their (EAOs) convenient time. However, we will be able to convene the talks very soon,”
Issues related to ‘improving peace’ and ‘developing a union that is based on democracy and federal systems which the ethnics have been continuously demanding’ will be mainly discussed with the attendee groups.
Karen National Union, Kachin Independence Army, Chin National Front, All Burma Students' Democratic Front, and Karenni National Progressive Party denied attending the peace talks invited by the SAC.
The Chief Commander’s peace invitation intends to compromise for the peace instead of fire exchanging for the well-being of the next generations.
“Who else should be the stakeholders that should be involved rather than the EAOs? In fact, the EAOs have been continuously advocating for their ethnicities’ rights and affairs, and their ethnic regions’ well-being. Now we are opening channels to discuss these issues. Then, who else should be involved apart from them? In my judgment, it's just they don’t want to give up their armed using strategy,” Major General Zaw Min Tun remarks.
Arakan Army from Rakhine State – which has been a tranquil territory without armed conflicts within the 2021 political crisis period – announced that they are evaluating the situations whether to attend or not.
The Northern Alliance – a military coalition in Myanmar composed of three EAOs: Arakan Army, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, and Ta'ang National Liberation Army have not yet mentioned their responses.