A Chinese representative that attended last week’s Maijayang ethnic summit said China strongly supports the peace process in Burma and encouraged ethnic armed groups to attend the upcoming Union Peace Conference (also called 21st Century Panglong Conference).
Attending as an observer, Mr Sun Guoxing, Special Envoy for Asian Affairs, said that he hoped to have the opportunity to meet with ethnic leaders again when the conference convenes in late August.
“Obtaining internal peace in Burma is the most important result for the country...That’s why I hope everyone will continue to give their support in obtaining peace…We support all groups that support internal peace in Burma.”
During last year’s fighting with the Myanmar National Democracy Alliance Army (MNDAA), bombs believed to be from the Myanmar military landed on Chinese soil killing several civilians. The situation prompted the China’s military to issue a warning that “decisive action” will be taken if it happened again, according to Reuters news agency.
The MNDAA are made up of Kokang, an ethnic Chinese group that live in Myanmar near the China border.
Since the reform process started, fighting with the MNDAA and three other armed groups—also based along the border—have at times caused civilians to seek refuge in China.
In January, during the first Union Peace Conference by the previous Thein Sein government, China sent an embassy staff to attend as an observer.
Mainly attended by eight groups that signed the so called nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA), the event was boycotted by most of the country armed groups. The NCA has been strongly criticized after excluding some of the groups that have fought against the Myanmar government in the last two-years—including the MNDAA.
All the country’s twenty-one armed groups were invited to last week’s ethnic summit in eastern Kachin State but four—including the MNDAA and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army; also excluded from the NCA—didn’t attend.
Vijay Nambiar, UN Secretary General’s Special Advisor on Myanmar, was among the special guests that attended as observers.
Naw Zipporah Sein, vice-chairperson for the Karen National Union, encouraged the ethnic leaders to “have patience in exchanging their views in order to get the agreements we all want” after the summit was extended by one day.
Reporting by Network Media Group
Translated by Thida Linn
