“U Aung Min, via Sayar Ko Nyo Ohn Myint, stated that [his committee] wants an urgent meeting [with the UNFC] in the coming days. I replied that the meeting can happen only after the 25th of this month,” said Nai Hong Sar.

He added that the meeting would be informal and the UNFC has not yet decided what issues would be discussed.

The 19 UNFC representatives have been in Japan since October 17 following an invitation from the Nippon Foundation, but they will arrive in Thailand in the next few days. Once they disembark, the agenda for the meeting with Minister U Aung Min will be deliberated in detail.

The Nippon Foundation has already agreed to provide emergency aid to the UNFC equivalent to USD 3 million for refugees along the border areas and in ethnic regions.

Nai Hong Sar stated, “Due to geographic constraint, the government has already given permission to provide some aid via Myanmar Egress, a domestic [non-profit] organization, according to the chairman of the Nippon Foundation. The aid will be delivered across the Thai-Burma border. It also arranged to support other ethnic areas not represented by UNFC membership, including Arakan and Shan States.”

In addition to humanitarian aid, the Nippon Foundation has been preparing to facilitate the peace processes between the Burmese government and armed ethnic groups.

Despite reaching ten formalized ceasefire agreements with armed ethnic groups in Burma, Minister U Aung Min has been unsuccessful at achieving an agreement with the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), another UNFC member.

The UNFC’s 11 members are the Chin National Front (CNF), Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), Karen National Union (KNU), Lahu Democratic Union (LDU), National United Party of Arakan (NUPA), Palaung State Liberation Front (PSLF), New Mon State Party (NMSP), Pa-O National Liberation Organization (PNLO), Shan State Progress Party / Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA) and Wa National Organization (WNO).