The agreement was reached during the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) members’ summit held from July 25 to 29 at the Kachin town of Laiza, headquarters of a NCCT’s member – the Kachin Independent Organization. The NCCT members’ summit discussed the drafted nationwide ceasefire agreement thoroughly before coming to an agreement on the third day of the summit.

U Khine Soe Naing Aung, vice chairman of NCCT’s member organization, Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) spoke to Karen News and said that the leaders of the NCCT had discussed and reached an agreement to sign the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement if the government accept the wills of ethnic people for the establishment of a federal union with equality of nationalities and rights for self-determination.

Speaking to Karen News, U Khine Soe Naing Aung said.

“All NCCT members’ organizations had discussed, in unity and in harmony, all the seven chapters in the draft ceasefire agreement in the meeting. The Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement would be successfully signed if the government accepts the basic principles demands of ethnic nationalities for establishment of federal union, equality of all nationalities and the rights for self-determination.”

Padoh Saw Ta Doh Moo, a central executive member of the Karen National Union who is a member of the KNU’s delegation to the summit, told Karen News that the demands are the aspirations of ethnic groups where they have been taken up arms and resisting the successive government based on the same principle demands. He said that the success of the nationwide ceasefire agreement now depends on the upcoming negotiation with government.

Speaking to Karen News, Padoh Saw Ta Doh Moo said.

“For the ethnic groups, that is our basic principles. Now, we have already discussed the seven chapters in the draft agreement. But we don’t know how much we can negotiate for it when we meet with the government’s delegation team.”

General Mutu Sae Poe, chairman of the KNU said in his speech at the summit that the ceasefire and the political dialogue could result in constitutional change. General Mu Tu called for establishing of a federal union – the aspiration of all the ethnic nationalities. General Mutu said that if the ethnic nationalities are to achieve their objectives they needed to take into consideration the current situation in Burma. General Mutu urged the groups to get positive results from the summit, as political forces inside the country and people who want constitutional changes are watching them closely.

The summit was attended by representatives of NCCT member organizations which are KNU, KIO/KIA, KNPP, NMSP, ANC, CNF, SSPP/SSA, PNLO, PSLF, TNLA, WNO, LDU, MNDAA, AA, ALP, KNU/KNLA(PC), DKBA and other observers total around 100 participants. Delegations led by UN Special envoy Mr. BJ Namibia and China’s Special Senior Advisor Mr. Tan Yang joined the summit on the third day.