Myanmar government to strive for draft ceasefire accord

The peace negotiator of the Myanmar government said on Tuesday that resumed peace talks with ethnic armed groups would strive for a draft nationwide ceasefire agreement, while calling for overcoming the outstanding issues.

U Aung Min, vice chairman of the government's Union Peace-Making Work Committee (UPWC), said this in his opening remarks at the seventh round of peace talks between the UPWC and the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) of 16 ethnic armed groups at the Myanmar Peace Centre, Xinhua news agency reported.

U Aung Min, who is also minister at the President's Office, told the meeting that the government was making efforts to reach the ceasefire accord aimed at building a foundation of carrying the peace process to the next term of government, creating a firm ceasefire and starting political dialogue.

He cited President U Thein Sein as saying that "ethnic conflict cannot be resolved by use of force but through political dialogue".

He underlined that the establishment of a joint monitoring committee on ceasefire and a committee for sponsoring political dialogue was an important step of the peace process.

Chairman of the NCCT, U Naing Han Tha, who is from the Mon ethnic group, said the recent Kachin Independence Organisation's (KIO) meeting with the government and military leaders amid heavy conflict in northern Myanmar was a good prospect and the confidence building between them contributed to the nationwide ceasefire talks between UPWC and NCCT.

He suggested that for lasting peace, fighting in Kachin state, Ta'ang or Palaung area and Kokang region should be covered by the peace talks to help ease tension in those areas.

He also emphasised the need not to use force to resolve domestic conflicts as it could lead to chaos in the country.

Lt. Gen. Myint Soe from the No. 1 Special Operation of the military expressed the belief that if understanding on conflict reduction and ceasefire was built during the meeting between the armed forces and the KIO, peace would be achieved.

Negotiators from the government and ethnic armed groups resumed peace talks in Yangon on Tuesday in an effort to finalise their draft ceasefire accord.

Before the resumption of the talks, Myanmar President U Thein Sein, Vice President Sai Mauk Kham and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Service Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing met separately on Monday with a special delegation of the KIO in Nay Pyi Taw, led by general secretary La Ja and its army's Deputy Chief of Staff Major General Guan Maw to discuss peace efforts in the country.

During that meeting, the KIO forwarded a peace proposal to the president, reaffirming its commitment to the ongoing peace process.

The sixth round of ceasefire talks, held in September last year, approved the fourth draft of the ceasefire agreement.