Nai Hong Sar, vice-chairman of the New Mon State Party (NMSP) said: “Ethnic people submitted their views openly. The Tatmadaw [Burma Army] also submitted their views openly. One good thing is that we were able to see the issues in our country and [hear the] views [held] by each group. It was all public knowledge.”

He also said that solutions acceptable to the majority of people that incorporated the genuine views of ethnic people and political issues have to be found.

Col Khun Okkar, patron of the Pa-O National Liberation Organisation (PNLO) said: “Everyone knew what was in our hearts because we were allowed to speak freely. There are diversities and confrontations. This was a way of informing [people about] problems and expressing them. Solutions will come up when we know what problems there are.”

The Tatmadaw (Burma Army), EAOs, political parties, civil society organizations, and experts presented a total of 72 papers expressing their views at the Union Peace Conference, which was held at MICC 2 Hall in Naypyidaw from 31 August to 3 September.

The papers were not discussed at the conference. Discussions and negotiations will take place at subsequent meetings of the Union Peace Conference.

Garmani, a writer and critic of politics and the military in Burma, said: “The organisers themselves have said that it will be a long process. One must take time to negotiate. Many groups and parties were not included in the conference. These four-days were only the foundation. You can’t expect more.”

17 EAOs, including all those who signed the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) and other groups who did not sign the NCA, sent 175 representatives to the Union Peace Conference.

The Arakan Army, the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), who have not signed the NCA did not send any representatives to the conference.

Reporting by Saw Thein Myint for KIC News
Translated by Thida Linn
Edited in English by Mark Inkey for BNI