The United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) has issued a statement saying that despite ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) best efforts successive Burmese governments have failed to engage in genuine, meaningful political dialogue.
The United Nationalities Federal Council
(UNFC) statement
In the 8 October statement the UNFC also pointed out that the current fighting in Kachin, Shan and Karen states has killed innocent villagers, including children and has caused thousands of people to flee their homes.
The UNFC said that the current fighting is due to the Burma Army’s aggressive military offensives against ethnic people and their lands, which will continue unless there is a political settlement
The statement said: “If the Myanmar Tatmadaw (Burma Army), on its part, does not end immediately its offensives and does not find solution to the country’s political problem by political means and, if it continues to use military might for settlement, the internal peace will still be far and away. For that reason, it is necessary to stop immediately finding the solution by military means, in order to halt military offensives, respect the people’s demonstration of their aspirations and resolve the problem through consultation, with earnest mutual trust.”
Nai Hongsar, the vice-chairman of the UNFC said: “Political problems must be solved through political means. Only then will the military offensives stop and [then the Burma Army] can no longer put pressure [on EAOs]. This has been shown by the civil war that has been going on for over 60 years. The Burma Army should stop its military offensives, otherwise there will be mistrust.”
The UNFC statement said: “Our UNFC on its part had negotiated for the ‘Framework for Political Dialogue’ during the time of U Thein Sein government from 2012-2013, and for ‘Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA)’ from 2013-2015, as part of the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT), in an effort to end for good, the nearly 70 years long civil war.”
The statement went on to criticise the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) negotiated by the Thein Sein government for not being inclusive and allowing conflict to continue.
It said: “However, as U Thein Sein government did not accept the signing of NCA together by all the members of the NCCT, the nationwide ceasefire cannot be implemented up to this day, and the country has to face gravely the continuing miseries of war.”
In Kachin State there is ongoing fighting between the Burma Army and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA).
In Shan State the Burma Army has been fighting with the Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army-North (SSPP/SSA-N) and, with the support of NCA signatories the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA), it has also been fighting the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) in Shan State. More recently the Burma Army has also attacked the RCSS/SSA in central Shan State.
The army is also presently carrying out an offensive against the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (Splinter DKBA) in Karen State.
Reporting by Aik Sai for M.N.A
Translated by Thida Linn
Edited in English by Mark Inkey for BNI
