Peace Advisory Committee and DPN to meet in Thailand

January 12, 2017

The Peace Advisory Committee led by U Aung Kyi and members U Hla Maung Shwe and Dr Min Zaw Oo and U Kyaw Lin Oo of its technical supporting team will meet with representatives of the Delegation for Political Negotiation (DPN) led by U Khu Oo Reh of the United Nationalities Federal Council in Chiang Mai, Thailand, yesterday, according to U Hla Muang Shwe.

“The focus is on resuming negotiations as we failed to meet recently due to the Christmas and the New Year holidays. We will discuss three matters including those related to the DPN, the Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC) and the organising meeting in Yangon,” said U Hla Maung Shwe. The DPN delegation last met with a delegation led by Chairman of the Peace Centre Dr Tin Myo Win at the branch office of the National Reconciliation and Peace Centre in Yangon on 11 November, and the UNFC has demanded 9 points, most of which have been accepted in principle.

“The policy of the government is to open the door for peace, to sign ceasefire agreements and to discuss issues at the second meeting of the 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference. So we will discuss participation of those who should take part in the negotiations,” U Hla Maung Shwe added.

Among the 9-point demands of the UNFC, the government has difficulty fulfilling the demand of the UNFO to allow to participation of foreign observers in the JMC and there has been a slight difference among the UNFC, the government, the Hluttaw and the Tatmadaw.

“As the JMC was established with the aim of addressing domestic issues based on the situation at home, civilian representatives were included in the process without inviting foreign observers. In addition, it is not also included in the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement,” Colonel Wunna Aung, Secretary (2) of the JMC said at the plenary meeting of the JMC on 22 December.

The government expects that drafting a framework for the meeting will be completed in January as about 80 per cent of it has been written.

“We are discussing with the UNFC delegation informally with the aim of resuming talks,” U Hla Maung Shwe said.

The peace advisory committee will also invite the DPN to participate in discussions on the framework and inclusiveness.

Ref; The Global New Light of Myanmar