“We will only discuss about the single army so the federal army [issue] may not be emerge in this session,” said Lt-Gen Khin Zaw Oo.

He said this in his opening remarks at the workshop held at the National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC) in Naypyidaw on June 19 to prepare for the third session of the 21st Century Panglong Conference, which is scheduled to start on the second week of July.

According to him, the titles in the political sector are weak in reflecting and showing the essence of federalism.

The issues on non-secession and federal principles relating to self-determination including the drafting of state constitution will not be discussed during the conference due to deadlocks between the government and ethnic people.

However, respective committees have remaining issues from the second session and points from the New Mon State Party (NMSP)’s national-level political dialogue and civil society organization (CSO) forum will be submitted to the conference so the third session will be quite complete if one adds them with the remaining issues, he added.

“The UPDJC secretary group has been summoned on the 25th (June 25). The date for the UPDJC meeting will be set down after the secretary meeting. Then, the date for the conference will be set down,” said U Zaw Htay, spokesperson of the government.

The government expected to hold the Union Peace Conference for five days starting from June 30, but the nationwide ceasefire agreement – signatories ethnic armed organizations (NCA-S EAOs) have proposed to start it on July 10.

However, the government, the Tatmadaw, and ethnic leaders have been in a dispute over the issues on forming a single army and federal army in the security sector. They have not been able to agree on troop positioning and withdrawal of troops, according to ethnic leaders.