Members of the Northern Alliance, a coalition of ethnic armed groups engaged in active fighting, have indicated they are unlikely to attend the upcoming Union Peace Conference as they were not all invited.
A representative from the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) said the government’s lack of inclusivity has again proved a stumbling bloc after invitations were not extended to three ethnic armed groups.
“The invitations were sent discriminately so I think even the invited EAOs won’t attend since all of us won’t be able to participate,” said Brigadier General Tar Bone Kyaw, general secretary of the TNLA. “Even if we were invited…we will only attend as part of the committee,” he added, referring to the Northern Alliance’s Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC). The Northern Alliance previously announced that it would not attend peace negotiations individually, but only collectively through the committee.
An invitation to the second session of the 21st-Century Panglong Conference – scheduled to start on May 24 – was extended to the United WA State Army (UWSA), but not to the Arakan Army (AA), the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) or the TNLA.
Brig Gen Tar Bone Kyaw said he expects China will intervene and lobby Nay Pyi Taw regarding inviting all members of the Northern Alliance.
“China believes the 21st -entury Panglong Conference will only be meaningful if it is all-inclusive. I think China will try to negotiate with the Tatmadaw and the Burmese government in order to make the conference all-inclusive. We will have to wait and see whether it is successful or not,” he said.
However, government organizers have proved stickers regarding the invitee list.
The Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC)’s secretary Sai Kyaw Nyunt said the UPDJC can only invite ethnic armed groups that have signed the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA).
“We discussed the issue of inviting the non-signatories at our last UPDJC meeting, but the government has currently taken charge and already sent the invitations,” Sai Kyaw Nyunt said.
Brig-Gen Tar Bone Kyaw insisted that Myanmar’s peace process must move forward inclusively, and warned that clashes may continue to take place due to the government’s discriminatory invitation practices.
Three of the Northern Alliance members – the AA, MNDAA and the TNLA – were not invited to the previous session of the 21st-Century Panglong Conference. The Tatmadaw insisted that they could only be allowed to attend the conference if they surrendered their arms.
Translated by Thida Linn
Edited by Laignee Barron
