Peace talks with ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) that have been proposed by junta chief Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing will continue until a positive outcome is achieved, a spokesperson for the State Administration Council (SAC) told reporters at a press conference in Naypyidaw on Thursday.
“I would like to say that the SAC guarantees that a good result will be discussed at these peace talks,” said Maj-Gen Zaw Min Tun, spokesman for the military regime that refers to itself as SAC. “Therefore, these peace talks will discuss with the decision makers honestly and openly. It is hoped that we will be able to discuss the issue of peace, even if it is a work in progress rather than a solution.”
Peace talks will be held with the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA), one of the signatories to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), on May 20, with other meetings with other ethnic armed groups to follow.
“The first peace talks with the RCSS/SSA will be held tomorrow. After that, we will discuss with another ethnic armed group. Then the talks with a team consisting of three members of the SAC will be held again,” Zaw Min Tun said.
He continued that representatives from some ethnic armed groups had arrived in Naypyidaw to attend the peace talks.
Seven NCA signatories — the KNU/KNLA-Peace Council; the Pa-O National Liberation Organization; Arakan Liberation Army; Restoration Council of Shan State; Democratic Karen Benevolent Army; New Mon State Party; and Lahu Democratic Union — will reportedly attend the talks with Min Aung Hlaing.
Among NCA non-signatories, the United Wa State Army, National Democratic Alliance Army, and Shan State Progress Party will reportedly attend the talks.
Min Aung Hlaing’s call last month for face-to-face talks with EAO leaders came after more than a year of clashes with anti-regime resistance forces, many of which were formed in the aftermath of the 2021 coup under the umbrella People’s Defence Force (PDF) banner.
The PDF has not been invited to the peace talks, and the junta considers its collective forces to be a terrorist organisation.
