Members of the KNU Central Standing Committee said on May 21 that they will proactively engage other ethnic armed organizations on the issue.

KNU general secretary P’doh Saw Tah Doh Moo said the initiative was being undertaken for the benefit of peace throughout the country.

“We will strive to engage the leaders using all kinds of methods,” he told KIC News.  

The KNU is one of eight ethnic armed groups to have signed the NCA.

The National League for Democracy-led government is anxious to see additional groups join the pact, and at the end of March, peremptorily announced that five more groups would soon ink the agreement. None have yet to do so. Signing the NCA has been established a prerequisite before organizations can participate in peace talks, political dialogues and negotiations over the shape of the federal Union. This stipulation has divided ethnic armed organizations, many of which have demanded all elements of the peace process are all-inclusive.

A total of 150 delegates will attend the second session of the 21st Century Panglong Conference, which is scheduled start on May 24. Restrictions have been made on the attendance of ethnic armed organizations that have not signed the NCA.

In addition to pledging to promote the NCA, the KNU’s Central Standing Committee’s also selected delegates to represent the KNU at the upcoming conference.

KNU vice chair P’doh Saw Kwe Htoo Win will lead the delegation, which will also include a representative each from the seven KNU-controlled districts.

The vice chair of the ethnic bloc the United Nationalities Federal Council recently expressed dismay that the peace conference would not be fully inclusive.

Nai Hongsar told KIC News on May 17 that a solution for a meaningful and long-lasting peace cannot be achieved if all ethnic groups are not included.

Translated by Thida Linn
Edited by Laignee Barron