CNI News
5 October 2025

Since the upcoming 10th anniversary celebration of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) is a peace-related event, all stakeholders involved in the current situation must be invited, said U Khun Sai, who is engaged in peace-related processes, to CNI News. However, if hostilities remain, not every group may need to be invited, he added.

The 10th anniversary ceremony of the signing of the NCA will be held grandly on October 15, followed by a two-day peace forum on October 16–17.

U Khun Sai stated that if the event is truly for peace, everyone should be invited, and if Myanmar were to conduct the process in the same way as Ukraine—where parties negotiate even while fighting—it would not be wrong.

He said: “The question is whether the organizers will invite all stakeholders and whether they actually want to invite them. And whether those invited will attend or not—I don’t know. But if it’s for peace, then everyone should be invited. If there are hostilities, then not everyone needs to be invited. No matter how much the groups keep fighting, in the end, they will have to negotiate. So if they are invited, they should accept it. Looking at international experiences, negotiations take place even while fighting. Look at Ukraine—it’s fighting and negotiating at the same time. If Ukraine can do it, then it wouldn’t be wrong for us to do it too.”

It is reported that leaders of Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) who took part in the NCA drafting will be invited to the 10th anniversary event.

In addition to the seven groups that signed the NCA, the United Wa State Army (UWSA), Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), and Shan State Progress Party (SSPP) are also expected to attend. The United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA), Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), and Karen National Union (KNU) may also attend, according to assessments by military and political analysts.

Although suggestions have been made on which groups should be invited to the NCA anniversary and peace forum, the National Solidarity and Peacemaking Negotiation Committee (NSPNC) has not issued any official response, U Khun Sai told CNI News.

“I have personally made suggestions on which groups should be invited. But since no reply has been received, I can’t say anything. Whether fighting groups or non-fighting groups, they should all be invited. Whether they attend or not is another matter. But whether or not they will actually be invited—we don’t know. And whether or not those who were invited received the invitations—we don’t know either. So I can’t really say anything.”, he said.

Military and political analysts also suggest that neighboring countries may exert pressure on EAOs to attend the 10th anniversary ceremony of the NCA and the peace forum.