Myanmar's two ethnic groups to join truce signing

The Myanmar government has invited two special region ethnic armed groups to join the expected signing of a nationwide ceasefire accord (NCA), an official report said on Monday.

The two ethnic armed groups from Wa Special Region-2 and Mongla Special Region-4, Shan state were not among the 15 armed groups that participated in the last series of peace talks with the government.

The invitation was extended by the government's Union Peace Making Work Committee (UPWC) to leaders of the two groups during a meeting in Kengtung, Shan state during the weekend, Xinhua news agency reported.

The two groups welcomed the peace process and the draft NCA reached between the government and ethnic armed groups, and pledged to continue constructive negotiations with the government on the implementation of the NCA and ensuing political dialogue.

Wa Special Region-2 and Mongla Special Region-4 are areas where U Pauk Yu Chang-led United Wa State Army (UWSA) and U Sa Lin-led National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA) were respectively relocated by the government in 1989 after returning to the legal fold with bilateral ceasefire agreements already inked then.

A draft NCA was preliminarily signed between the government's UPWC and the ethnic groups' Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) in late March after conclusion of more than one year's negotiation.