Federal Union to be possible only with goodwill: Suu Kyi

At a meeting with civic organisations on May 12, she said for a successful federal system, everyone must nurture goodwill. 

“We must be broad-minded. Racism is too narrow-minded to sustain a federal union. As the Bamar are the majority in our country, Bamar people nurture more goodwill. However, other national races must also contribute. In the end, unity must start from goodwill. Only when there is unanimous goodwill can a united federal system be established,” she said.

Amending the constitution is also a political component and everyone must be involved in it, she added.

The Union Peacemaking Work Committee (UPWC) and the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) have agreed in principle to the draft of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA). The political dialogue framework is being drafted.

Pado Saw Kwal Htoo Win, general secretary of the Karen National Union (KNU), urged understanding from those who are involved in the political dialogue so that the drafting of the framework for political dialogue can be finished within two months. 

The government and the ethnic groups agree to drawing up the dialogue framework within two months and implement all the inclusive political dialogue within three months.

Pado Saw Kwal Htoo Win’s message was sent to members of cabinet, parliament, military, ethnic groups and political parties. He is also chairman of NCCT, the gathering of 16 armed ethnic groups.

Tin Maung Than from the Myanmar Peace Centre said that some political organisations are drafting their own framework for political dialogue in advance and there will be some differences between the draft of each group.

NCCT leaders will convene early June. The meeting was delayed from April, so as not to conflict with the Panghsan Conference, which was organised by the United Wa State Army. 

Pado Saw Kwal Htoo Win said: “Some leaders of the NCCT just came back from Panghsan Conference. Some remained at the headquarters. We planned our meeting for between May 15 and May 20. However, some members will only be free after May 20. After the final draft [of the nationwide ceasefire accord] is discussed within the NCCT, it has to be submitted to the ethnic leaders. Therefore, the meeting will be after May. I’m not sure of the exact date.”

The meeting will be held in Lawkhila, where the headquarters of the Karen National Union (KNU) are located. 

The NCCT meeting will be open to leaders of the team's sixteen member groups, as well as the UWSA, Restoration Council of Shan State, National Democratic Alliance Army (Mongla Army), Naga Army and All Burma Students Democratic Front. 

Members of the NCCT include the Kachin Independence Army, KNU, Kerenni National Progressive Party, Pa-Oh People’s Liberation Organisation, New Mon State Party, Shan State Progress Party, Chin National Front, Democratic Karen Benevolent Army, Arakan Liberation Army, Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), Lahu Democratic Union (LDU), Wa National Organisation (WNO), Arakan National Council (ANC), Arakan Army (AA) and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA.)

However, LDU, WNO, ANC, AA and MNDAA are not recognised as partner groups in the ongoing ceasefire discussions. 

At the recent Panghsan Conference, ethnic leaders discussed removing the MNDAA, TNLA and AA from the NCCT since they have not not signed the final draft of the ceasefire agreement, which was accepted by the NCCT and the Union Peacemaking Working Committee on March 31. The three groups are currently fighting with the Myanmar Army in north-east of Myanmar.