The UNFC vice-chairman Nai Hongsar told reporters that the aim of the meeting in Chiang Mai on 13 October was to draw up guidance for the Delegation for Political Negotiation (DPN), which will travel to Naypyitaw on 15 October to discuss the eight point proposal of amendments to the NCA that the UNFC submitted to the Peace Commission.

He said: “We are trying to include international [experts] in the ceasefire monitoring group so that the ceasefire is strong, because some have signed the NCA but now there is [the Burma Army] fighting with the Restoration Council of Shan State [RCSS]. This means the NCA is not strong. We want it to be strong. Another thing is the Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Committee [JMC]. The monitoring groups need to be good and strong.”

Khu Oo Reh will lead the eight-member DPN delegation to Naypyitaw. While they are there they will also attend a ceremony on 15 October marking the first anniversary of the signing of the NCA.

Issues to be discussed at the meeting with the peace Commission will include: issues surrounding the announcement of the new NCA within 24 hours of it being agreed; the building of a federal democratic union; tripartite dialogue; the drafting of a constitutional law based on agreements reached at the Union Peace Conference (21st Century Panglong Conference); and the framework for political dialogue.

Regarding the framework for political dialogue issues due to be discussed include: the bilateral ceasefire agreement between the Burma Army and the UNFC members; military codes of conduct; terms of reference and an advance agreement on the repositioning of troops.

If the DPN cannot reach an agreement with the Peace Commission the DPN will not attend the meeting to review the framework for political dialogue due to be held at the National Peace Centre in Rangoon on 18 and 19 October.

Nai Hongsar said that prior to that meeting the DPN will meet with the Coordination team, who represent the eight EAOs who have signed the NCA, in Rangoon on 17 October.

They will discuss the framework for political dialogue and the DPN will explain their position.

Nai Hongsar said: “Our original position is all-inclusiveness and tripartite dialogue.”

At the UNFC Central Executive Committee meeting the delegates discussed what they had learned from their recent study trip to South Africa where they learned about the South African peace process and made plans to go on another study trip to Switzerland in mid-October.

Leaders representing all the EAOs who make up the UNFC membership attended the Central Executive Committee meeting.

The member groups of the UNFC are: the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO), the Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA), the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), the New Mon State Party (NMSP), the Arakan National Council (ANC), Lahu Democratic Union (LDU), and the Wa National Organisation (WNO).

The UNFC was established in Chiang Mai in November 2010.

Translated by Thida Linn
Edited in English by Mark Inkey for BNI