Conference of ethnic armed groups scheduled for later this month
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Myanmar is due to hold an ethnic armed groups conference at the end of this month in the town of Laiza in Kachin State, where the armed ethnic Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) is headquartered.
This was decided by the United Nationalities Federation Council’s (UNFC) Emergency Council during a meeting that took place last week.
According to the resolution, the current political situation requires a conference among leaders from all the ethnic armed groups. A committee will, therefore, be set up and at least two or a maximum of five representatives from each armed group will be invited to attend the conference.
The government had earlier approved a KIO request that a conference be held.
KIO vice-chief of staff Maj-General Gwan Maw said the conference was aimed at bringing ethnic leaders together to discuss and coordinate their demands ahead of a nationwide ceasefire accord that is likely to take place at the end of this month.
The KIO would decide whether it should sign the ceasefire agreement only after studying and reviewing the accord’s provisions, said Gwan Maw, a member of the UNFC.
One resolution decided to allow the All Burma Student’s Democratic Front to become a member working on political and military affairs.
The UNFC bands together 11 ethnic armed groups which have entered into a ceasefire agreement with the government.
