FPNCC: Hypocrite in Myanmar’s peace process backstabbing Tatmadaw
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Tun Mon Thet (NP News) - July 17
The Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC) is an alliance of seven ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) involving the United Wa State Army (UWSA), Arakan Army (AA), Kachin Independence Army (KIA), Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA), Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA), and Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA).
Claiming themselves as the negotiation body of EAOs in Myanmar, the FPNCC is organized by such hardcore armed groups comprising the major body in 2017. Ironically, all members refused to ratify the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement in 2015; thus, the FPNCC is a non-signatory entity to the NCA.
At present, four out of seven of them are explicitly exchanging fire with Tatmadaw intending to disintegrate from the Union though they echo the federal state or confederation: the MNDAA and TNLA insurrection in the northern Shan State; the AA is trying to seize northern Rakhine State while the KIA also exchanges fire in Kachin State and develops proxy armed conflicts in Sagaing and Magway regions with so-called People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) which were emerged as the by-products of the Spring Revolution.
The MNDAA, TNLA and AA organized a further military alliance called ‘Three Northern Alliance Army’, which formed the main military figure in humiliating the Tatmadaw in time of hardship of the Union after the 2021 political transition while the Tatmadaw netted not only the political problems but also trying to ensure tranquility across the country.
The MNDAA initiated the military offenses in Chinshwehaw and Kokang area ‘Laukkai’ under the title of ‘Combating the online scams’ last year. The MNDAA and its alliances named the operation 1027 which was launched on 27 October 2023 in the northernmost part of Shan State.
Sporadic battles have been occurred in late 2023 and early 2024 in northern Shan State as humiliated by the MNDAA, TNLA, AA and KIA exchanging fire with Tatmadaw. The MNDAA formulated many military assaults in the area outside of Laukkai as it aimed to get extensive Kokang territory following Operation 1027.
Claiming as the second phase of Operation 1027, the TNLA and the MNDAA attacked Nawngkio, Kyaukme and Lashio, where the Northeast Military Command is located, in late June and early July this year.
Meanwhile, the Wa, with a total population of 800,000 in the Wa Self-Administered Zone, possesses approximately 70,000 troop members including child soldiers. Serving as the Chair of the FPNCC, the UWSA is no doubt in the position as the master of the rest despite its lip-service-like excluding stance in the ongoing armed conflicts with almost 10 percent of military personnel within the territory.
The UWSA, a suspected mastermind behind the three alliance army, reportedly had deals among inter-ethnics accord of sharing sub-states under the Wa territory upon gaining more lands expecting to secure half of the Shan State in the north, which was deemed to be the Wa’s ultimate goal to achieve.
However, the FPNCC found cracks within it as different groups raised disputes with each other over territorial ownership. The TNLA vs. KIA, TNLA vs. SSPP, and MNDAA vs KIA tensions have just arisen at present.
In recent days, the SSPP sent a letter to the UWSA, the senior leadership among themselves, asking to control the TNLA for violating racial rights over Shan ethnics. The TNLA also accused the SSPP of betraying in the ongoing armed conflicts.