The United Nationalities Alliance (UNA) and the 88 Peace and Open Society (88 Generation) group met in Yangon to talk about solving political deadlocks and to demonstrate unity between democratic groups and ethnic political forces on 22 May.
The UNA is an alliance group of opposition parties. Their delegation was led by the Shan National League for Democracy (SNLD) leader Khun Tun Oo, while the 88 Generation delegation was led by U Min Ko Naing and U Ko Ko Gyi. At the meeting they discussed how to solve the current political deadlock and how to foster unity between democratic groups and ethnic nationalities.
Sai Nyunt Lwin, the secretary general of the SNLD said: “U Min Ko Naing promised that they [the 88 generation] will act as mediators for negotiations. Currently, the National League for Democracy (NLD) and our ethnic political parties will have to compete against each other in the forthcoming 2015 elections.”
He said that at the meeting they discussed cooperation and the formation of an alliance between ethnic groups and the NLD led democratic parties,
U Min Ko Naing said: “The main thing is to amend the constitution, but people have forgotten about that as other issues have come up which they want to talk about. What is certain is that though the election might be fair if it happens without the 2008 constitution being amended it will be very hard to get any real change. So, we are having these discussions so that we can all, including the NLD, work together.”
The meeting agreed on two principle points: To amend some sections of the constitution before the general election and to send a joint statement to the Ethnic Armed Organisations‘Leaders conference which will be held at Law Khee Ler in Karen National Union territory on 2 June.
Translated by Aung Myat Soe English version written by Mark Inkey for BNI
