Draft ceasefire set to be finalised tomorrow, signed in September
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Negotiations between the Union government and armed ethnic groups are expected to arrive at a consensus on a final draft nationwide ceasefire agreement during talks at the Myanmar Peace Centre that began today and wrap up tomorrow, members of both sides s
They were so confident of reaching agreement that they said a signing ceremony for the nationwide ceasefire agreement would likely be held next month.
The meetings should go smoothly as a draft that both sides agree upon is nearly complete, members of both sides said yesterday.
The Union Peacemaking Work Committee (UPWC), including its vice-chairman, Union Minister Aung Min, and senior officers from the Union military, are meeting about 20 members of the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT), which represents the armed ethnic groups. NCCT delegates include its leader Naing Han Thar, and senior members Pado Saw Kwal Htoo Win and Maj-General Gwan Maw.
The two groups agreed in March during a meeting in Yangon to draft a schedule for finalizing a nationwide ceasefire agreement.
Over the next two months talks focused on drafting a single text – rather than one from each side – for the ceasefire agreement. After both sides completed a first draft, both sides held internal discussions to before joining together to produce a second draft.
Discussions on the second draft scheduled for June, were postponed as both sides south approval from those they represented. The UPWC falls is led by President Thein Sein, and includes Vice President Dr Sai Mauk Kham, Lower House Speaker Thura Shwe Mann, and Upper House Speaker Khin Aung Myint, as members. It submitted the draft to the Union Peace-making Central Committee for approval, which is led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, commander-in-chief of Defense Services.
The NCCT also sought approval from its members at a summit of armed ethnic groups held in Kachin State’s Laiza Township, the headquarters of the Kachin Independence Organisation, late last month.
The UPWC and NCCT held an informal meeting in the state’s Myitgyina Township, on August 3.
Maung Shwe, of the Myanmar Peace Centre said that 31 points had yet to be finalised at the meeting held in Yangon in May. These pertained to concerns about existing laws and the 2008 Constitution raised by the armed ethnic groups. Government negotiators also baulked at the armed ethnic groups’ stated commitments for “revolution”.
The NCCT was formed in October last year as armed ethnic groups strove to take a united stand in talks with the Union government. They met with government officials for the first time the following month in Myitgyina. So far, there have been four formal meetings between the UPWC and the NCCT as well as a host of informal talks.
