Draft nationwide ceasfire agreement finalized in Myanmar

Want China Times, Xinhua 2015-04-01

The seventh round of peace talks between the Myanmar government and
ethnic armed groups in Yangon, March 30. (Photo/Xinhua)

Peace negotiators of the Myanmar government and ethnic armed groups reached a seven-chapter draft nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) in Yangon Monday, ending one year and four months of peace negotiations on the draft accord.

The draft accord is expected to be signed by negotiation group members of both sides Tuesday, while the formal NCA is to be endorsed in Nay Pyi Taw at an agreed future date by leaders of the government and the ethnic armed groups before being forwarded to the parliament for approval.

The finalization of the draft NCA was made on the seventh day of the seventh round of peace talks between the government's Union Peace-Making Work Committee (UPWC) and the ethnic armed groups' Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) after the remaining four points were resolved.

The UPWC side was led by its vice chairman U Aung Min, who is also minister at the President's Office, while the NCCT side was headed by U Naing Han Tha.

Both sides described the finalization of the draft NCA as a step forward in efforts towards a ceasefire.

UPWC negotiator U Hla Maung Shwe told Xinhua that the ethnic armed groups have to now coordinate themselves on other matters of their own, while the government side will stick to the draft agreement.

NCCT head U Naing Han Tha also told Xinhua that the agreed draft NCA still needs to be forwarded to their Ethnic Summit Conference for endorsement and the date and venue for the conference has yet to be fixed.

U Naing Han Tha insisted that all ethnic armed groups must be included in the formal signing of the nationwide ceasefire pact between the UPWC and the NCCT, of which Kokang's Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) is a member.

According to the draft accord, a framework for political dialogue has to be drawn within one month after the formal signing of the NCA.

The final day of the latest round of talks, which was resumed after a week-long recess, was attended by representatives of the parliament, military officials and government ministers.

The peace process began in November 2013 when UPWC and leaders of the ethnic armed groups met in Myitgyina, Kachin state's capital, for the first time for nationwide ceasefire talks. The latest round commenced in Yangon on March 17.

Since President U Thein Sein's government took office in March 2011, it has vigorously pushed the process of national reconciliation. Having realized ceasefire with over a dozen ethnic armed groups individually, it is now moving towards a nationwide ceasefire before proceeding to political dialogue for lasting peace in the country.