CNI News
31 Mar 2023
A peace conference that focuses on northern ethnic armed groups is likely to be organized, Political Observer U Ye Tun told the CNI.
He added that the peace conference can be held more broadly if EAOs that are signatories to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement are invited to it.
He told the CNI, "A peace conference is likely to be organized. After meeting the Chinese special envoy, the northern alliance of seven EAOs announced that there are various ways and means to build a federal union. Another factor is that when the NCA was signed during the term of former president U Thein Sein, the northern EAOs refused to sign the agreement and they also refused to join the Panglong conference organized during the term of the NLD. Now, a peace conference will be organized by inviting them after negotiations, it can be said that the conference is focused on northern EAOs. The conferences for the NCA and during the term of the NLD can be said as southern focused ones. Therefore, we will have to wait and see whether EAOs in the southern part of the country will attend the conference. The SAC will invite them but I am not sure whether they will attend the conference or not. If NCA signatories attend the conference, it will be a more comprehensive conference."
The NSPNC holds talks with the UWSA, the SSPP and the NDAA on 22nd March, 2023.
It was announced that the SAC, the USWA, the NDAA and the SSPP held discussions on 22nd March to hold a peace conference.
In the same way, the SAC and seven EAOs, which have strike ceasefire deals with the former, discussed possibilities to organize a peace conference.
The SAC will reveal the outcomes of the negotiations with the EAOs to the public after the peace conference, which should be organized, Chairman Dr Aye Maung of the Arakan Front Party.
He told the CNI, "As the slogan of the NSPNC suggests, they might amend the constitution and later organize a conference or a peace conference. It might also end up in amending the constitution. The key to the question is whether the SAC, the CCP and the Chinese government have agreed that the new elections and the new parliament is the best exit from the crisis and whether the FPNCC and the seven PPST member NCA signatories have agreed to the concept."
The NSPNC holds talks with seven EAOs from 28th to 29th March, 2023.
He added that a peace conference might be a major exit from the crisis by amending the constitution by NCA signatories. The 21st Century Panglong Conferences have been held four times. Fifty-seven points have been agreed and shall they continue to organize the conference? How many points have been agreed during the negotiations. They can reveal their agreements to the public only at a conference. So, they may and should organize a conference. Only then, will they be able to proceed. It is a peace process in which the EAOs and the SAC have agreed to amend the constitution. The role of political parties and the 2008 constitution will continue in their own way."
Union peace conferences had been organized since the term of the former president U Thein Sein and the last one was held in August, 2020 during the tenure of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
