The meeting was organised by the United Wa State Army and will be held at their headquarters in Pansang Township, Northern Shan State from 1 to 3 May.

Nai Hongsa, who is also the leader of the ethnic Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) and vice chairman of the New Mon State Party (NMSP) said: “After we signed the draft NCA we reported to the UNFC and other related organisations. When we did that our party wanted to add some more points and the UNFC also needs to add some points, which is why the NCA will be the main talking point at this conference.”

He said that as long as the EAOs are willing the conference would discuss adding and removing various points from the draft NCA. The NCCT will also answer questions from the conference delegates. Any amendments made to the draft NCA will have to have approval from all the parties at the conference. Nai Hongsa also added that it will be impossible to discuss and finalize all the points of contention at the conference.

He said: “Not all members of the NCCT will be at this top leaders’ conference and it does not represent the NCCT. That is why we plan to hold a meeting where all the NCCT members can participate. We will also invite non-NCCT members [to the meeting].

“We intend to include all other ethnic armed groups, not only members of the NCCT, in the discussions about the NCA and political dialogue.”

Currently there are 21 EAOs in Burma. Of these, 16 are members of the NCCT, but only 12 EAOs have been invited to take part in the Pansang conference. Of the EAOs invited to the conference six are NCCT members.

The main points that the NMSP wants to add to the draft NCA are the rules regarding the territory that will be covered by the NCA, which, they say, it will be essential to discuss.

Seven representatives from the NMSP will be attending the Pansang conference, including the chairman Nai Htaw Mon, the vice chairman Nai Hongsa and the New Mon State Liberation Army (NMLA) commander-in-chief Nai Laye Kaung.

The groups invited to take part in the Pansang conference are: the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), the Karen National Union (KNU), the Restoration Council of Shan State / Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA), the NMSP, the National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA, Mongla group), the Shan State Progressive Party / Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA), the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA, Kokang group), the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), the Arakan Army (AA), and the Paoh National Liberation Organization (PNLO).

The Pansang conference will be the fourth EAO leaders’ conference. The first was held at the KIO headquarters in Laiza at the beginning of October 2013 and the second was held at the KNU headquarters at Law-Khee-Lar in January 2014 and the third was held at Laiza in July 2014.

Translated by Aung Myat Soe English version written by Mark Inkey for BNI