Leaders of the New Mon State Party (NMSP) announced that they will be attending the fourth round of the 21st Century Panglong Conference next month.

 

NMSP Chair Nai Hongsa and Nai Aung Min, deputy chair, pledged their attendance when many of Burma's ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) sit down again with the government and Tatmadaw to discuss the country's long-delayed peace process from August 12-14.

 

Nai Banyar Lel, who runs NMSP's internal affairs department, told NMG that the government is asking EAOs to reduce the number of representatives they send. Five from each organization are allowed to attend.

 

After the government enacted strict social distancing measures because of the COVID-19 pandemic a decision was made to invite only 230 representatives of EAOs, political parties and distinguished guests to the upcoming peace conference.

 

During the conference, Nai Banyar Lel told NMG they would push for a promise from the government for permission to draft a constitution for the ethnic states. In addition, they will discuss basic federal principles, a framework agreement for further implementation of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) after the 2020 general election, and signing the Union agreement part-3 during the upcoming conference.

 

During the second 21st Century Panglong Conference, stakeholders agreed on 37 points: 12 political points, 11 were about economics, 4 on social issues and 10 on land and environment. After agreeing to 51 points during the last two conferences, the attendees signed the Union Accord. During the third conference there was a consensus on fourteen general points, but the participants could not agree on some essential points, and this caused a deadlock. They included self-determination for ethnic states, security, non-integration of the Union and formation of one army in Burma.