Peace talks this week prompted optimism among both government and ethnic armed group negotiators, indicating that after more than 18 months of negotiations, a peace process victory may well be on the horizon for the National League for Democracy-led administration.
The two sides are currently wrestling over a set of preconditions which, if finalized, could lead to additional armed groups signing the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA).
Khu Oo Reh, who heads the Delegation for Political Negotiation, an ethnic negotiating bloc, said the tussle is nearing completion after the most recent meeting in Yangon on November 8-9.
“The discussions went well. We are nearly at the final stage concerning the eight points we have submitted,” he said at a press conference following the talks.
The DPN, which is the negotiating arm of the United Nationalities Federal Council - a coalition of now just four ethnic armed groups - has laid out eight demands before signing the nationwide NCA. The demands include modifying the constitution in line with the results of the 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference and obtaining pledges from the government and the Tatmadaw that the NCA will go into effect within 24 hours of signing.
While most of the bigger, political points have been worked through, preferences for the terminology to use in their agreement are still at odds, the Mon News Agency has learned. The UNFC members want a “federal democratic Union with full guarantees”, while the government prefers “a Union based on democracy and federalism” as is currently stated in the ceasefire text.
Government officials seemed confident the stumbling bloc could be quickly overcome, however.
“We are about to reach the finish line. We have discussed what [still] needs to be done. We must continue the discussions and…finish them,” said U Zaw Htay, director-general of the State Counsellor’s Office.
Although neither side has announced an official date for reconvening, Peace Commission member U Hla Maung Shwe wrote on Facebook that they will meet again on November 16.
The UNFC was formed with 11 members in 2011, but its ranks have dwindled as the negotiations gained traction and exacerbating the divide between groups supporting and objecting to the NCA. Many of the groups opting to steer clear of the NCA have joined a new center of ethnic negotiating power instead, called the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee.
The UNFC currently consists of the New Mon State Party (NMSP), the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), the Arakan National Council (ANC) and the Lahu Democratic Union (LDU). They have been negotiating with the National League for Democracy (NLD)-led government for nearly one and a half years.
