Myanmar ethnic leaders meet over ceasefire accord

A meeting of Myanmar's ethnic leaders kicked off in Panghsang, the self-administered zone of the Wa ethnic group in the northern Shan state, on Friday to discuss and seek the adoption of a draft nationwide ceasefire accord (NCA).

The draft NCA was preliminarily signed between peace negotiators of the government and ethnic armed groups at the end of March this year.

Panghsang is the headquarters of the ethnic United Wa State Army.

The six-day summit of ethnic leaders, the fourth of its kind, is being attended by leaders of 12 invited armed groups, including Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO), Karen National Union (KNU), United Wa State Army (UWSA) and National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA), Xinhua news agency reported.

Attending the summit were also leaders of the ethnic groups' National Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT), U Naing Han Thar and his deputy Padoh Kwe Htoo Win.

In his opening speech at the meeting, leader of United Wa State Army's (UWSA) Bao Youxiang said that the main purpose of the summit was to exchange opinions by putting aside disagreements among ethnic armed groups and to swiftly implement the peace process.

The first ethnic summit was held in Laiza in the northernmost Kachin state in October-November 2013, and the second in KNU-controlled Law Khee Lar or Laywa in Kayin state in January 2014 and the third summit in Laiza in July 2014.

The government's Union Peace-Making Work Committee (UPWC) and the ethnic armed groups' Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) concluded more than one year's negotiations on the NCA on March 30 and the finalised draft accord was preliminarily signed in Yangon on March 31. The draft NCA is yet to be formally signed after approval from top leadership of both sides.

The venue, date and signatories will be designated through coordination of the two sides.