The United Nationalities Federation Council (UNFC) doubts that the Burmese Government is truly committed to peace because the government continues to launch offensives in different ethnic areas while the nationwide ceasefire talks are being held, said UNFC General Secretary Khun Oo Reh.
He told IMNA that the UNFC did not know if it was a coincidence that fighting broke out as the UNFC's Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) and the government's Union Peace-Making Working Committee (UPWC) met for their last meeting in Rangoon in September, but the UNFC suspect it was because they had proposed a federal army.
The UNFC’s first plenary session was held from 20th to 22nd October 2014 in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The committee released a statement from the meeting, raising concerns that "the government army continues to launch offensives in Kachin, Shan, and Karen states, and is now preparing to attack other ethnic states. This raises suspicions as to whether the government really wants peace in the country or not.”
Khun Oo Reh said that whilst the NCCT had honest intentions they were suspicious that the government's intentions were less than honest because they were launching offensives whilst attending peace meetings.
The UNFC’s 22nd October statement said that even though the government claims to be engaged in peace talks in reality there is no equality or justice, the talks are moving backwards and no concrete agreements have been reached.
In regards to the next round of peace talks between the NCCT and the UPWC, Khun Oo Reh said: “It seems that it is up to the government side to decide [when to have the talks]. The UNFC will continue to work alongside the NCCT. We will only know when the government is ready to sit down for talks when the Myanmar Peace Center (MPC) informs us, as they are the group organizing the talk.”
U Hla Maung Shwe, a Senior Advisor of the MPC said: “We hope that the NCCT and the UPWC will meet by the end of October. After that, the signing [of nationwide ceasefire] will take place.”
Khun Oo Reh also said that the UNFC will continue to try and join up with other non-UNFC armed groups and democracy forces to create a successful national peace program.
When Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Chairman of the National League for Democracy (NLD), spoke to reporters at the Pyithu Hluttaw in Naypyitaw on 20th October she said: “One side is talking about the ceasefire, but the other side is launching attacks. So, something should be done to fix this matter."
The first peace talks between the UPWC and the NCCT were held from 4th to 5th November 2013 in Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State. In the past year the UPWC and the NCCT have held six rounds of talks discussing the drafting of a single Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA).
