A spokesperson for a Shan civil society told Mizzima that the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) and several political parties discussed the factors that are impeding and debilitating the national peace process during last weekend’s conference in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

He stated that the UNFC, along with the All Burma Students’ Democratic Front (ABSDF), the National League for Democracy- Liberated Area (NLD-LA), and Shan civil societies nominated six fundamental issues as the forces that were directly obstructive to peace works and the progress towards a national ceasefire.

They agreed that continued recruitment by respective militaries, sustained armed conflicts, problems with war refugees, and the slow implementation of peace itself are all standing in the way of a ceasefire and national amity

U Tun Aung Kyaw, a foreign affairs representative from the NLD– LA, said that his organization will make sure to work closely with local political parties and ethnic armed organizations during future peace negotiations.

Ethnic armed groups and eleven of Myanmar’s political parties journeyed to Chiang Mai, Thailand last weekend to participate in a conference organized by the Myanmar Peace Centre. It was the first time the two groups had engaged in political dialogues.