Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) party leaders have decided not to attend Burma's national political dialogue due to start on 12 January.
Sai Nyunt Lwin, the general secretary of the SNLD, told SHAN that they would choose four party members to attend, but that the party leaders, including Khun Htun Oo, are not going to participate.
He said: “Khun Tun Oo will not attend. It is not going to be meaningful if everyone is not included."
The peace summit is due to be held for five days, from 12-16 January, and is set to include 700 representatives from the government, parliament, the military, political parties and the eight Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) signatory groups, as well as experts and observers. Non-signatory armed groups are to be invited as observers.
Sai Leik, an SNLD spokesperson said: “Attending or not, there is nothing. Right now the fighting has continued happening in many places, it has not stopped.”
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD), is also reportedly not going to attend the meeting, but other NLD representatives will attend instead. Daw Suu also did not attend the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement signing ceremony on 15 October.
There have been reports that the leaders of the Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army-North (SSPP/SSA-N), a non-signatory to the NCA, will also not be attending the peace summit.
On 5 January over 100 civil society organisations released a statement demanding a halt to the dialogue because of ongoing fighting between government and ethnic armed groups in both in Shan and Kachin States.
By SAI AW / Shan Herald Agency for News (S.H.A.N)
Edited in English by Mark Inkey for BNI
