The Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC) agreed on June 29 to hold the third session of the Union Peace Conference – 21st Century Panglong for six days starting on July 11.
“There are 11 decisions. The conference will be held on July 11 and it will be held for six days this time. These are noteworthy [decisions]. The rest are issues that are carried out regularly,” said U Hla Maung Shwe, member of the UPDJC secretary group.
He explained that the conference has been extended to give more time for discussions in respective sectors and groups.
“Sector-based discussions were prioritized in the previous conference such as political, economic, and social. This time, more discussions will be held for group discussions like political parties group and EAOs (Ethnic Armed Organizations) group,” said Min Zeyar Oo (a) Min Kyaw Zeyar Oo, member of the UPDJC secretary group.
He continued that no decisions will be set down even though discussions will be held in the security sector and only the topic on gender equality will be discussed in the political sector.
In his opening speech, the UPDJC vice chair Dr. Salai Lian Hmung Sakhong said the ethnic people will continue to fight for democracy, national equality, and self-determination until they have been achieved.
The UPDJC vice-chairs Dr. Tin Myo Win, Dr. Salai Lian Hmung, and U Thu Wai, 14 representatives of the government, hluttaw, and the Tatmadaw, 16 EAO representatives, and 16 political parties’ representative attended the 15th UPDJC meeting but the UPDJC’s chair Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was absent from the meeting.
