“In my opinion, the government is avoiding the discussions on equality and self-determination, which have always been demanded by the ethnic people, in the Union Peace Conference. It’s as if they are prolonging peace. I talked about this during the UPDJC (Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee) meeting,” said Nai Hong Sar.

A discussion on the fundamental principles on federalism, which was left unfinished in the previous session, has also been avoided in the upcoming session and the UPDJC has decided on June 29 to only discuss gender equality in the political sector.

“Since we started drafting the NCA (nationwide ceasefire agreement) in 2013, we told the government delegates to prioritize the discussions on equality and self-determination. The peace talks and peace conferences are held to discuss them. The ethnic armed organizations signed the NCA to hold these political dialogues officially,” Nai Hong Sar continued.

He pointed out that the Tatmadaw’s offer to discuss equality and self-determination only if the ethnic armed organizations agree to non-secession from the union is prolonging peace and avoiding the issue.

“We are not demanding secession from this union. The ethnic people have never demanded secession,” Dr Salai Lian Hmung Sakhong, vice-chair of the UPDJC and the Chin National Front (CNF), said in his opening speech in the previous UPDJC meeting.

He told the meeting that the ethnic people will continue to fight for the three main principles - democracy, national equality, and self-determination - until they have been achieved.

Although the security sector will be discussed in the third session of the 21st Century Panglong Conference, which will start on July 11, no decisions will be set down and the UPDJC Work Committee meeting will draft the basic policies for the remaining four sectors of political, economic, social, and land and resources on July 4.