The government’s Union-Level Peace Working Committee (UPWC) led by minister U Aung Min and the ethnic Nationwide Ceasefire Team (NCCT) led by Nai Hongsa had an informal meeting in Chiang Mai on 5th February.
At the meeting they discussed the ethnic United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) proposal to sign an agreement to form a federal union. Nai Hongsa said the government did not want to sign the proposal.
Nai Hongsa said: “The UPWC cannot give us a decision as to whether this proposal is acceptable or not. The government side also proposed [both sides sign] an agreement to continue the process of the NCA and after signing both sides will try to pursue peace. We have not decided on this proposal yet.”
Nai Hongsa also explained that though the meeting was only an informal meeting the UPWC gave the NCCT a letter inviting them to attend the Union Day celebrations on 12th February. Both sides expect to sign something on Union Day. They also talked about how they can find a way to re-start the NCA meetings after Union Day.
Regarding the UNFC’s proposal to sign an agreement to form a federal union, U Aung Min, the UPWC group leader told DVB that the 16 ethnic armed groups [in the UNFC] are not in agreement whereas on the government side there are only three groups so it is easy for them to reach agreement. He said that it was only on the ethnic side that there might be difficulties in making decisions because they are made up of so many organisations that need to negotiate with each other.
Replying to that criticism Nai Hongsa said: “We are made up of ethnic groups so there might be a diversity of opinions, but the government side also have a diversity of opinions and no unity because parliament has ideas, the army has ideas and so on. They also have similar difficulties.”
The UPWC and NCCT will hold another informal meeting after Union Day when they will decide on a date on which to hold the seventh official meeting between the UPWC and the UNFC.
The informal meeting in Chiang Mai on 5th February was attended by Minister U Aung Min the leader of the UPWC and UPWC members U Khin Maung Soe, U Khin Ye. They were accompanied by members of the government technical team the Myanmar Peace Commission (MPC). Attending for the NCCT were their leader Nai Hongsar and Phado Kwel Htoo Win, Maj. Saw Loan Loan, U Thun Zaw, and Col. Solomon.
Translated by Aung Myat Soe English version written by Mark Inkey for BNI
