At recent national reconciliation talks the government and parliament were well represented but less than half of the ethnic political groups were represented complained Nai Hong Sar, the leader of the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordinating Team (NCCT)
The talks were held in Naypyidaw on 31st October. The government representatives included the president Thein Sein; two vice presidents and the army commander-in-chief General Min Aung Hlaing whilst representatives from parliament included the parliament chairman, Aung San Suu Kyi and other top political leaders.
The only two representatives from ethnic political groups invited to the talks were U Khun Tun Oo from the United Nationalities League for Democracy (UNLD) and U Sai Aik Pong from the Nationalities Brotherhood Federation (NBF). No representatives of ethnic armed groups were invited.
According to Nai Hong Sar not enough representatives of ethnic political and armed groups were invited to the talks.
He said: “The main revolutionary armed forces were not included in the dialogue it would solve political conflicts if they could join in. Currently only half of the ethnic nationalities interests are represented.”
Because ethnic armed groups have a prominent role in ethnic politics excluding them from the reconciliation process will lead to one-sided unbalanced decisions being reached he added.
Dr Tu Jar the chairman of the Kachin Democracy Party agreed and said that since the talks were supposed to be about national reconciliation representatives of all ethnic groups, both political and armed, should be allowed to participate because it would increase the chances of peace being reached.
Before the meeting U Sai Aik Pong from the NBF told Phophtaw News that they would discuss a ceasefire, peace and federal issues at the talks.
These were the first national reconciliation talks to be held. All the participants made proposals but no decisions were reached.
