Myanmar government, ethnic groups agree on 4th draft ceasefire accord

The Myanmar government and the ethnic armed groups Friday agreed on a fourth draft nationwide ceasefire accord after five days of talks at the Myanmar Peace Centre in Yangon, said a joint press statement of the two sides at the end of their sixth round of talks.

The government's Union Peace-making Work Committee (UPWC) and the ethnic armed groups' National Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) adopted the fourth draft nationwide ceasefire accord following discussions on some remaining points out of 104 of the draft ceasefire accord, Xinhua reported citing the statement which did not divulge further details.

The two sides agreed to continue their talks in October, saying they will strive for an early signing of a nationwide ceasefire accord and the beginning of political dialogues.

The just-ended talks involved parliamentarians and the army.

The UPWC and leaders of the ethnic armed groups met in Myitgyina, Kachin state's capital, for the very first time in November 2013 for nationwide ceasefire talks and, after that, the UPWC also met NCCT on a number of occasions in an effort to work out a draft nationwide ceasefire agreement.

The leaders of the ethnic armed groups have also held three summits since October 2013 focusing on the nationwide ceasefire.

Myanmar has witnessed the rise of a number of ethnic armed groups since the 1950s. Since U Thein Sein's government took office in March 2011, it has vigorously pushed the process of national reconciliation, having inked ceasefire deals with 14 of the 16 ethnic armed groups on separate occasions.

The government is now moving forward to a nationwide ceasefire to pave way for political dialogue for continuing peace in the country.