Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said that clinging to armed struggle was contrary to democracy at a time when wishes and wants can be attained by political means.
“It should be noticed that at this time and in the current situation you should be able[to get what you want] by democratic means. Clinging to armed struggle with an ethnic-centric and parochial manner which emphasises only your own wishes and doing what only you want is contrary to democracy,” said C-in-C Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing on August 31, 2016.
Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing was speaking at the opening ceremony of the Union Peace Conference or 21st century Panglong Conference attended by nearly 2,000 people, held in Naypyitaw yesterday.
The words were said against a backdrop of continuing clashes between ethnic armed groups and the Myanmar military. Only this week, clashes were reported in Shan and Kachin States.
Chairman of United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) Gen. N Ban La said, “Some might want to question why the non-Burmese ethnic nationalities have turned to armed struggle. I would like to answer this question by saying that the commitment and promises made in the Panglong Agreement were not comprehensively and completely implemented and as a result we lost our rights to democracy, ethnic equality and self-determination which were guaranteed in this agreement,”
Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing also said at the opening ceremony of the conference that the peace process needed to be implemented within a short time in dedication to the interests of all nationalities. He also pledged that he would strive to achieve peace within the 5-year tenure of this new government. Also at the meeting, Min Aung Hlaing stressed that political discussion would follow guidelines set down in the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement.
The Senior Gen. said, “If the peace process takes more time than needed, there will be more outside instigation, intervention and manipulation and then this will jeopardize confidence building measures which have already been achieved and there will be more friction in the process, so I have to suggest that we implement the peace process speedily.’
Union Peace Conference or 21st century Panglong Conference will be held for at least four days and it is being attended by 18 ethnic armed organisations but four EAOs namely AA, TNLA MNDAA, NSCN-K are not attending.
