Myanmar's armed groups to watch government political framework

The United Nationalities Federal Council, representing Myanmarese armed groups which have not signed a formal ceasefire with the government, on Monday said it will keenly observe the progress of the political framework being put in place for all-inclusive peace process.

UNFC representative U Khu Rel made these remarks at a conference held by UNFC's Delegation for Political Negotiation (DPN) in Yangon on Monday as an additional clarification following its Sunday press release, Xinhua news agency reported.

"If the political framework cannot become the one acceptable by the nationalities, there is no certainty of the possibility for the emergence of the 21st Century Panglong conference," Khu Rel said.

Although the set political framework was agreed between the former government and the ethnic armed groups who signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Accord, the UNFC proposed to review it with the new government to build mutual trust and ensure all-inclusiveness in the conference.

State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi held talks with UNFC's DPN, represented by its chairman U N'Ban La, in Yangon's National Reconciliation and Peace Centre (NRPC) on Sunday.

The DPN also vowed to continue negotiation with the government on the peace process especially on the termination of the government's military offensive against ethnic nationalities in northern part of Myanmar.

Meanwhile, a four-day ethnic summit has been planned for July 26-29 in Maijayan, northernmost Kachin state, controlled by the Kachin Independence Organisation.

The upcoming four-day Maijayan ethnic summit, reported to be attended by 55 ethnic armed groups, will lay down a common stance in preparation for attending the government-sponsored Panglong Conference slated for late August in Nay Pyi Taw.

The Panglong Conference Preparatory Committee had announced that it will allow the NCA non-signatories to join the Panglong Conference to ensure access for them to political dialogue.

The former Myanmar government and eight ethnic armed groups out of 15 signed the NCA on October 15, 2015 and there remains seven other armed groups who have yet to sign the accord.

--IANS

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