Ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) signatory to Burma’s Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) say that they are ready to work with the next National League for Democracy (NLD) government on the peace process.

 

The Peace Process Steering Team (PPST) of the NCA-signatory EAOs met online from November 25-26, concluding with a letter sent to the NLD, congratulating the party on its re-election in a national vote held on November 8.

 

The letter stated that the PPST would cooperate with the NLD government to “restore long lasting peace in the country and build a Union based on democracy and federalism.”

 

A total of 50 people including PPST leaders, representatives, advisers, and observers on women’s leadership, attended the video conference of the PPST meeting.

 

“The NLD announced that they would implement national reconciliation and national unity as a party policy. We are happy and we welcome it, so we have to cooperate on this," PPST spokesperson Col Khun Okker told NMG.

 

Khun Okker said that the EAOs “cannot depend only on [the government]” but said he believed the chances of success in peacebuilding would be increased if there was cooperation between the armed groups and the NLD administration.

 

“Based on a spirit of national reconciliation and national unity, we expect that the NLD government will be able to solve many issues, including the political, social and economic problems of our country,” the NCA-signatory EAOs’ letter stated.

 

The Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC), made up of non-NCA signatory EAOs, released its own statement on November 18, saying that the committee would cooperate with the NLD government through negotiations aimed toward national reconciliation.

 

The FPNCC members are the Kachin Independence Organization, Shan State Progress Party, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, Arakan Army, Ta’ang National Liberation Army, National Democratic Alliance Army, and the United Wa State Army.

 

Ethnic armed organizations signatory to the NCA are the Karen National Union, Chin National Front, All Burma Students Democratic Front, Karen National Liberation Army-Peace Council, Pa-O National Liberation Organization, Arakan Liberation Party, Restoration Council of Shan State, Democratic Karen Benevolent Army, New Mon State Party and the Lahu Democratic Union.