The Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) led by Nai Hongsa and the government’s Union Peacemaking Work Committee (UPWC) led by U Aung Min are scheduled to meet for the third time in Chiangmai, according to informed sources.
The meeting has been planned for Sunday, 29 December. The two sides have already held 2 meetings earlier, the second time on Sunday, 15 December.
According to Freedom daily, quoting Padoh Kwe Htoo Win, the NCCT’s deputy leader and the Karen National Union’s General Secretary, reported both “have agreed as much as 50% of the ceasefire pact draft. The disagreement just remains over terms and order of words.”
A second Ethnic Armed Organizations Conference (EAO #2), a follow-up to the EAO #1, 31 October-2 November, in Laiza, is expected to be convened at Lewa, the KNU headquarters, after the 29 December meeting outcome have been approved by top leaderships on both sides.
EAO #2 will probably be held 12-15 January, according to Kwe Htoo Win, to be followed by another meeting with the UPWC in Pa-an, the capital of Karen State.
One of the UPWC delegates will be U Khin Yi, Minister for Immigration and Population, who is also scheduled to meet representatives from armed groups and civil society organizations on 30 December over the controversial census taking on 30 March-10 April 2014.
“The venue is being arranged by U Nyo Ohn Myint,” said U Hla Maung Shwe, Special Advisor to the Myanmar Peace Center (MPC).
The delegation will then travel to Maesot to meet with KNU top leaders on 31 December.
The two sides hope to break the deadlock that was reached in Myitkyina after the UPWC took an abrupt about-turn and presented a new ceasefire draft with stiff conditions, according to some resistance sources.
