Local peace talks were reportedly held at April Mon Hall at 1 p.m. on 6 July in Tamu town, Sagaing Region.

Firstly lower house MP Naing Naing Win from Tamu constituency delivered opening address and then Sagaing Region legislative assembly legislator Myint Naing Oo delivered his speech and after that upper house MP Maung Maung Latt, Nga Ngai representing Kuku Youth Organization, Chairperson of the Reducing Orphanage Children Organization Ei Thone and Thang Say from ethnic organization provided panel discussions.

Local people who attended these peace talks raised questions that were answered by the panelists.

Tamu Youth Network leader Ei Thone said, “Previously we could not hold such local peace talks in our town. We held it for the first time. The local people are scared with the presence of illegal armed organizations. So we hold this talk to let the government know about such thing. This illegal armed organization should not be allowed to stay in the town. The government should consider if they will be allowed to stay outside the town or in the limit of a designated area for them. The adults and children are frightened and scared with their presence in the town. We held this talk based on these reasons.”

This peace talk was jointly organized by CSOs in Tamu town and it was reportedly attended by over 150 local people.

A bomb exploded on June 18 this year in Tamu at the premises of a Meitei residing in Sawbwar 8 Ward.

People carry goods from Myanmar and enter India through Indo-Myanmar Friendship Gate at Moreh, some 120 kms from Imphal, the capital city of Manipur state. Photo: AFP