MPC Says NCA Signing No Guarantee of Peace

MPC Says NCA Signing No Guarantee of Peace
by -
IMNA

Even if the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) is finally signed there is no evidence that the fighting will completely stop according to the Myanmar Peace Centre (MPC).

The MPC made the announcement at a press conference on 11 September, where they also revealed the agenda that will be implemented after the NCA is signed.

U Hlaw Maung Shwe a special advisor to the MPC said: “We [the MPC] do not say that the fighting will completely stop right after signing the NCA. The fighting will continue to take place. After signing the NCA, talks for negotiations and solutions for stopping the fighting must be held. So, we are urging them to sign the NCA first.”

A draft version of the NCA was signed between representatives of the government's Union Peace-making Working Committee (UPWC) and the ethnic groups' Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) at the MPC on 31 March 2015.

On 7 August the ninth round of discussions was held between the UPWC and the NCCT’s Senior Delegation (SD), during which both sides reached an agreement on a finalised NCA text.

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Dr. Min Zaw Oo, director of the MPC’s Ceasefire Negotiation and Implementation Program said: “It will not be possible to stop the fighting right after the NCA is signed. The fighting will continue to occur, this will happen because each side does not recognise its territory. It [fighting] won’t take place if territories can be set. They can only be set after signing the NCA. The fighting will cease after negotiations are reached on how to solve and set each territory.”

Though the government and ethnic armed organisation (EAO) leaders have finalised the NCA text there continues to be fighting between government and EAO troops in ethnic areas that include northern Shan State, Kachin State and Arakan State.

The MPC has also stated that within two weeks of signing the NCA a Joint Implementation Coordination Meeting (JICM) will be held to discuss and implement changes within the military and political sectors.

Dr. Min Zaw Oo said: Within 14 days of signing the NCA we will send out invitations for the JICM. This is not [just] the government's JCIM, both ethnic armed groups and the government will cooperate at the JICM.

According to the MPC within 24 hours of the NCA being signed commanding officers from the government and the EAOs will be informed of the codes of military conduct. Within five days the points of the NCA will be explained step by step to the commanders from both sides. The JICM will then be held within 14 days and within 30 days the Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC) will be founded to monitor military activities. Following that the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC) will be established to hold political talks.

President U Thein Sein suggested that the NCA could be signed on 29 September, whist the EAO leaders suggested 15 October. According to the MPC there will be further discussions about which date the NCA should be signed on.

Reporter Chit Min Htun

Edited in English by Mark Inkey for BNI

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