Mon party finds ethnic voices limited at Union Peace Conference

Mon party finds ethnic voices limited at Union Peace Conference
by -
MNA
The Mon National Party’s general secretary Nai Layih Tamarh (Photo-MNA)
The Mon National Party’s general secretary Nai Layih Tamarh (Photo-MNA)

The ethnic perspectives represented at the second session of the Union Peace Conference – or the 21st-Century Panglong Conference – are not fully inclusive due to the absence of a powerful ethnic umbrella organization, an official from the Mon National Party said.

The United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), a bloc representing seven ethnic armed organizations that have not yet signed the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA), chose to skip the conference as it was only invited to observe the proceedings instead of fully participate in them.

Mon National Party general secretary Nai Layih Tamarh expressed concern that due to the obvious void, any policies or agreements reached at the conference could not possibly include input from all ethnicities.

“The current session is different than the first session because agreements will be reached after respective organizations set down basic policies. But the ethnic voice is weak due to the UNFC’s lack of participation,” he said.

Decisions on important issues will have to be delayed due to the absent parties, he added.

The second day of the May 24-28 peace talks involved discussions on five main topics: politics, economics, social issues, land and resources and security.

“Our party was given the chance to present the beliefs of the ethnic Mon people and to submit our demands for a future federal democracy,” said Nai Layih Tamarh.

Nai Kyan Yit, central executive committee member of the All Mon Region Democracy Party, noted that despite their limitations, the fact that the talks are happening at all marks some progress.

“We have been involved in armed struggles for 70 years, fighting for the chance to build a federal democratic Union. Now, our political arena has changed. We have arrived at the stage where ethnic people can sit together in a conference hall and discuss and decide on how to build a federal Union,” he said.

In his opening speech on May 24, chair of the Karen National Union (KNU) General Mutu Say Poe said peace can only occur in an inclusive space free from outside influence or interference. All organizations must be able to safely exchange views, information and news, he added.

In the lead up to the second 21st-Century Panglong event, the UNFC was involved in negotiations with the government over signing the NCA, or some form of intermediary agreement. The negotiations were not able to conclude before the start of the meeting however, and so the UNFC members were not given invitations as full participants able to take part in presentations and discussions.

Although the UNFC as a bloc is not attending the Union Peace Conference, some of its members, including the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and the Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA), sent delegates, as did members of the newly forged Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee led by the United Wa State Army which has pledged to skirt the NCA and find a new route to peace.

Translated by Thida Linn
Edited by Laignee Barron

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