The government requested a meeting with the Northern Alliance to re-engage peace dialogue in January, according to the Kachin State based Peace-talk Creation Group (PCG).
Lamai Gum Jan from PCG told NMG the government sent invitation letters to the Northern Alliance asking to meet in the second week of this month, but that the member groups haven’t responded yet because they’re preoccupied with other activities. “They told us they were very busy with Christmas and New Year events,” he said, explaining they said they can meet before the end of January.
The government proposed a meeting in Kachin State capital, Myitkyina, or in Kengtung, located in eastern Shan State. Lamai Gum Jan assumed that the Burma Army will attend if it happens in one of the proposed locations.
NMG contacted the government, Burma Army and Northern alliance for comments but couldn’t reach anyone at the time of press.
The government and Northern Alliance met early last year for informal talks about a bilateral ceasefire agreement in the Chinese city Kunming. After they couldn’t agree on a location for the second meeting they never met again. When the pandemic started, travel became difficult and peace-talks were suspended.
The member groups of the Northern Alliance are Kachin Independence Organization/Army (KIO/A), Arakan Army (AA), Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), also known as the Kokang Army, and Ta’ang National Liberation Front (TNLA).
