Insiders speculate that a ceasefire, IDP issues and the peace process will be discussed.
Representatives from the Burmese government and military, as well as the four groups in the Northern Military Alliance of ethnic armed organizations will meet next week in northern Shan State.
Col Naw Bu, of the Kachin Independence Army’s (KIA) information department, said that the meeting is scheduled to take place in Muse, on the Chinese border, from April 29-30.
“I can confirm the scheduled date now, but I don’t know whether the meeting date will change over the next two to three days,” he told NMG.
According to the colonel, the KIA’s negotiation team will attend the meeting.
“Our negotiation team will discuss issues in the peace process including a ceasefire agreement, politics beyond the ceasefire agreement, and the path of the peace process,” he explained.
Representatives of the Myitkyina-based Peace-talk Creation Group (PCG) said that they expect “good results” from the meeting.
“I think their discussion in the meeting will mainly focus on a ceasefire agreement and issues around IDP [internally displaced people] resettlement,” PCG member Sam Awng said.
Maj-Gen Tun Mrat Naing, commander-in-chief of the Arakan Army (AA), confirmed to the media on April 17 in the Wa Self-Administered Region that the meeting would take place on April 30 and that the AA would be in attendance.
Maj Mai Aik Kyaw of the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) said his organization is not aware of further details beyond the fact that the meeting is taking place.
“What I know is that we will have a meeting,” he told NMG.
NMG reached out to respective government and military contact people for more information, but received no response.
The parties had originally agreed to meet before the mid-April Thingyan water festival, but the meeting was later postponed until the end of the month due to conflicting schedules.
In addition to the KIA, AA, and TNLA, the ethnic Kokang Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army is also a member of the Northern Military Alliance.
