“That doesn’t mean we should leave out the remaining groups from the peace process,” he explained. “They would be invited to join it during the political dialogue.”

The government will name 16 signatories among itself to countersign, he added.

Among the witnesses, prominent leaders of the country, such as Aung San Suu Kyi and Hkun Tun Oo will be among the invited, while among the international figures, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, Jimmy Carter, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Tony Blair, the Nobel Elders and the Asean ministers will be asked for to sign as witnesses.

According to the Burma News International (BNI)’s January 2013 report Deciphering Myanmar’s Peace Process: A reference guide 2013, there are 21 armed groups in Burma:

1. United Wa State Party/United Wa State Army  (UWSP/UWSA)
2. National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA)
3. Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA)
4. Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA)
5. Chin National Front (CNF)
6. Karen National Union (KNU)
7. Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA)
8. New Mon State Party (NMSP)
9. Karen Peace Council (KPC)
10. Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP)
11. Arakan Liberation Party (ALP)
12. National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K)
13. PaO National Liberation Organization (PNLO)
14. All Burma Students Democratic Front (ABSDF)
15. Kachin Independence Organization/Kachin Independence Army (KIO/KIA)
16. Palaung State Liberation Front/Ta-ang National Liberation Army (PSLF/TNLA)
17. Arakan Army (AA)
18. Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) the non-Border Guard Force faction of Kokang
19. Lahu Democratic Union (LDU)
20. Wa National Organization (WNO)
21. Zomi Reunification Organization (ZRO)

Among them 14 (#1-14) have signed state level ceasefire agreements and the government is negotiating with #15 and #16. The rest are considered either “too small” or “owe their existence to bigger organizations”, according to a source close to the government.

The UPWC met the armed groups’ Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) on 29 January in Chiangmai to receive its latest Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) draft vetted and approved by the Conference in Karen State, 20-25 January.

The latest NCCT-UPWC meeting was considered a successful one, according to a Myanmar Peace Center (MPC) official.

“We were more open and frank with each other,” he said. “The NCCT also said the Lawkheelar Conference mandate was that apart from the Basic Principles, it would make adjustments as it saw fit.”

“It will be reported to the President next week together with our recommendations,” said U Hla Maung Shwe, U Aung Min’s adviser. “We will then meet the NCCT again in mid February.”

The Pa-an conference, initially planned for December 2013, has been moved again to March, according to both government and resistance sources.

Note:    The 16 groups slated by the government to sign NCA should not be confused with the 16 member NCCT:

1. ANC (Arakan National Council) also UNFC member
2. CNF (Chin National Front) also UNFC member
3. KIO (Kachin Independence Organization) also UNFC member
4. KNPP (Karenni National Progressive Party) also UNFC member
5. KNU (Karen National Union) also UNFC member
6. LDU (Lahu Democratic Union) also UNFC member
7. MNDAA (Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army) also UNFC member
8. NMSP (New Mon State Party) also UNFC member
9. PNLO (PaO National Liberation Organization) also UNFC member
10. PSLF (Palaung State Liberation Front) also UNFC member
11. SSPP (Shan State Progress Party) also UNFC member
12. WNO (Wa National Organization) also-UNFC member
13. AA (Arakan Army) non-UNFC
14. ALP (Arakan Liberation Party) non-UNFC
15. DKBA (Democratic Karen Benevolent Army) non-UNFC
16. KPC (Karen Peace Council) non-UNFC