Suu Kyi takes fresh look at reconciliation

Aung San Suu Kyi, chair of the National League for Democracy (NLD), has made new moves to achieve national reconciliation.

She said last week that she would restart the peace process in an effort to persuade other groups to sign the ceasefire.

Speaking on the Radio Free Asia programme, 'Rough Journey to Democracy, she said: “We will have to negotiate from the beginning in order to lay down the political framework for the nationwide ceasefire.

“We will continue carrying out the tasks of the Myanmar Peace Centre, but some [aims]will have to be changed. We would like to tackle the peace process as early as possible. We want to move quickly towards ensuring a smooth transfer of power so that we will be poised to tackle all the issues when we are in government,” Suu Kyi said.

She added that the NLD would have to work hard for the ethnic minorities and peace must be given priority in addition to regional development in matters like education, health and social welfare.

“The most important thing is that all of us are embedded with 'union spirit' in our hearts. Insurgency is not a good sign for the people and the country. Despite the elections, peace is still distant. Rebellions cause many problems for the people. “.

Suu Kyi said before the election that peace would be one of her first priorities.

Only eight of 21 ethnic armed groups signed the national ceasefire agreement on October 15. Given continuing skirmishes in border states, optimism is high that peace would be restored in Myanmar under the civilian government.

While NLD is in the process to form the new government, the peace process continues. Members of the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee convened a meeting in Yangon last week. Sai Kyaw Nyunt from the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy stressed that it was necessary that the door must be open to all other groups. Last week, a committee to draft a framework for political dialogue was formed with eight representatives from the government, armed groups and political parties. They started their work on November 27.

Government representative Aung Min said: “We need to prioritise the basic facts for the timely completion of the framework. These points are the number of representatives who will be included in the political dialogue, the ratio of participants and the agenda, rules and regulations of the talks and decision-making process.

“We will know more after the first political talks are held. We will hold better political talks under the next government. “.

Last week, the government and the Shan State Progressive Party (SSPP) reached a six-point agreement, including a deal to end the conflict in Shan State.

The meeting focused on the deployment of SSPP troops and a government pledge not to attack the group's Wan Hai headquarters.

It was agreed that SSPP troops should withdraw to the north of the Mongnaung-Monghsu road and government forces should remain to the south of the road. A SSPP relations office is due to be opened in Mongnaung to deal with future disputes and administrative issues.

Both sides agreed to cooperate on the swift reopening of 17 schools and coordinate to allow refugees to return.

For the sake of reconciliation, ethnic groups' representatives will be included in the new Cabinet, Suu Kyi told RFA.

“In our government, I expect ethnic representatives who are not in our party and others who can provide benefits to the country to be involved,” said Suu Kyi.

“We said before that although we won the election with a majority to form a government, we will not do that because we value national conciliation. We will work together with others but the NLD will lead them. It is a duty assigned to us by the people. The people voted for us to form a government. We straightforwardly asked for their votes. We requested people to vote for the NLD so we need to fulfill their desire,” she said.