The United Nationalities Alliance (UNA) will be holding a conference with UNA member groups from 22nd to 24th December at the Royal Rose Hall in Rangoon, the Burmese Government will not be included in the conference
According to U Aye Thar Aung, an Arakanese leader and chairman of the UNA, the conference will be open strictly to UNA member organisations, UNA’s partner the National League for Democracy (NLD), ethnic political parties, the 88 Generation Open Society Group, ethnic community-based organisations and civil society organisations, armed group members of the United Nationalities Federation Council (UNFC), and other armed groups which have already signed ceasefire agreements with the government.
U Aye Thar Aung told IMNA: “The objective of this UNA-led conference, with its member and partner organisations and ethnic armed groups, is to find solutions for [Burma’s] political issues. On 21st December representatives from UNA member organizations will meet and then submit a report; that report will then be discussed at the conference.”
He added: “The conference is being held to discuss: how to amend the constitution; how to restart postponed peace talks; what points should be discussed when political talks recommence; and to reach an agreement on how to fix the 2008 Constitution.”
According to Nai Ngwe Thein, chairman of the Mon National Party (MNP), the MNP has already arranged for eight members to be present at the UNA conference. Nai Ngwe Thein noted that besides discussing the ceasefire issue and the establishment of equality under a federal union, if time permits, the MNP would like to discuss the matter of teaching native ethnic languages in ethnic areas.
He said: “Topics to be discussed during the conference include the ceasefire, equality, and [the creation of a] federal union. Then, we will also discuss teaching our mother language. We will discuss this if we have time, if we do not, we will only discuss [the first three issues].”
The UNA is comprised of twelve ethnic political parties, including the political parties that contested, and won, the 1990 elections, such as the MNP, the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), and the Arakan League for Democracy (ALD).
The UNA’s December conference will be the first of its kind.
