Peace talks envisage swift end to 60 years of civil war

The comments were made during meetings between the Union Peacemaking Work Committee and the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT), which represents armed ethnic groups, in Yangon from August 15 to 17.

“Most issues from the previous meetings were addressed at the latest meeting, but a few issues remain,” said Aung Min, vice-chairman of the Union Peacemaking Work Committee. He said agreement on the remaining issues could be reached by early September. “If decisions can be made then, we can fix the date for signing the nationwide ceasefire deal,” he added.

“We agreed to completely end all civil wars on the second day of the meeting,” NCCT deputy leader Pado Saw Kwe Htoo Win said on August 17. He said the agreement followed discussions on how to end the 60 years of internal warfare that have plagued Myanmar.

The three days of meetings focused on the final draft of the nationwide ceasefire, with members from both sides saying it is nearly complete. “As soon as the ceasefire is signed, both sides will announce that ongoing skirmishes will end within 24 hours. We promise that skirmishes will not occur anymore within five days,” Pado Saw Kwe Htoo Win said.

Government negotiator Hla Maung Shwe said both sides had agreed that their technical teams would meet several times before the next meeting between the NCCT and government negotiators in September. He said there was a 95 per cent chance that the nationwide ceasefire agreement would be signed by the end of October.

He and other negotiators said that ground forces would receive orders from the top telling them to refrain from armed conflict. The orders will be sent within 24 hours of signing the nationwide ceasefire agreement.

His statement was echoed by NCCT member Dr Salai Hlyan Hmum, who told reporters that as soon as the ceasefire is signed both sides would order their troops to refrain from opening fire. He also said that both sides had agreed to form working groups to monitor codes of conduct for troops, and that these would be adapted to suit each ethnic area where fighting has occurred or is occurring.

Pado Saw Kwe Htoo Win said conflict resolution teams have been formed to reduce the number of skirmishes between government and ethnic troops.

The three-day meeting ended with an agreement to continue talks to iron out the remaining differences so that a nationwide ceasefire draft can be finalised and signed.

The NCCT proposed that President Thein Sein, Lower House speaker Thura Shwe Mann and Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing participate in the signing of the nationwide ceasefire deal in order to further strengthen it.

After the first day of meeting, NCCT leader Naing Han Tha said both sides have witnessed progress.

“I hope both sides will soon reach agreement and sign the ceasefire agreement shortly. I believe that we will be able to carry out political dialogue soon,” Naing Han Tha said.

Minister Aung Min also said he was satisfied with the outcome. On the day, he told ethnic leaders that the worries of both sides are suspicions that are typical in peace processes. 

The government is seeking to strengthen its ceasefire arrangements and get agreement on guarantees that are essential for holding political dialogue. Aung Min said if these basic foundations could be set down, the next government could implement peace processes after April 2015.

Naing Han Tha said: “Actually, we have goodwill for our citizens to live in peace and especially become united and for our country to become more developed.”