Mai Mai, a member of NEYA, said that because they received the invitation so late, and they had to pay their own travel costs, they could only field nine members.

Youth member, Min Naung Htaw said it’s unclear exactly what input youth will be able to contribute during the conference since it was decided that the dialogue will be trilateral--the government, ethnic armed groups and Burma Army.

The invitation to attend as observers, and just before the peace conference begins, feels a bit forced, he explained.

In days preceding the conference, some civil society groups have criticized the conference for not being inclusive enough.

This has prompted Yanghee Lee, UN Rapporteur on Human Rights in Burma, to write that ignoring the input of important “stakeholders” during the conference would negate its effectiveness for creating positive change in the country.

In a recent article penned by Lee herself, she wrote: “Youth, as the future of the country, must also play a role and I was disappointed to hear comments from senior individuals that the outcomes of the recent ethnic youth summit will not be considered in the process.”

Input from women, grassroots organizations and civil society are crucial for the conference to have “the ingredients for a sustainable, inclusive process which can propel the country forward and into the prosperous future for all” wrote the UN rapporteur.

Mai Mai said: “We are only being invited as observers,” explaining that in order to properly represent concerns of the youth, a more active role at the table is required.

The NEYA was formed in late July following the National Ethnic Youth Conference in historic town Panglong in Shan State.

Reporting by Hwan Hein for S.HAN
Translated by Thida Linn
Edited by BNI staff