Rifts grow over ceasefire

The government will engage in talks on the political demands of rebel groups only after they had signed a nationwide ceasefire, said Hla Maung Shwe, senior advisor at the Myanmar Peace Centre.

He said the political dialogue was scheduled for early 2014.  

 Hla Maung Shwe made the remarks amid widespread public criticism of the government’s push for a ceasefire that ignores the calls by armed ethnic groups for political dialogue first.

The government has scheduled a nationwide ceasefire-signing ceremony for next month. The ceremony will be followed by a meeting to decide the framework for the political dialogue, said the Peace Centre senior advisor.

“As far as I am concerned, we will see unprecedented political dialogue this time. In the past, we merely forged ceasefires, but now, political dialogue will be promised at the nationwide ceasefire-signing ceremony,” said Hla Maung Shwe.

However, the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), a coalition of eleven armed ethnic groups, has handed the government a list of seven demands it must meet before the coalition will agree to attend the ceasefire-signing ceremony.

One of the UNFC demands is for the government to officially announce the ceasefire throughout the whole nation, while another is to include all stakeholders, including armed ethnic groups and civic organisations, in political dialogue that must be open and transparent.

Armed ethnic groups are sceptical of any nationwide ceasefire as region-level ceasefires have rarely prevented attacks by government troops. On the other hand, they have requested the immediate start of political dialogue, and the amending of the 2008 Constitution to make it federal-based. 

On September 2, parliament Speaker Shwe Mann offered hope to rebel groups seeking autonomy for their states by saying that without a federal system in place, there would be difficulty both in achieving peace and in bring about national unity, national consolidation and the rule of law for Myanmar.

Meanwhile, political parties and ethnic groups have begun to discuss amending the 2008 Constitution so it becomes a federal-based charter that reflects the aspirations of the country’s ethnic groups. The parliamentary Constitution Review Commission will submit its recommendations for amendments before the end of this year.

Roads to political dialogue will be also open at every stage for those armed ethnic groups that failed to sign the nationwide ceasefire, Minister Aung Min, vice-chairperson of Union Peacemaking Committee, told the UNFC at their meeting in Chiang Mai on September 8.

Nevertheless, no armed ethnic group has yet to officially announce it will attend the ceasefire-signing ceremony in Nay Pyi Taw next month.