Ethnic armed groups removed from blacklist
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Three ethnic armed groups have been removed from the list of unlawful associations, being part of the eight groups that have pledged to sign the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) with the government.
The Ministry of Home Affairs announced that the three are the Karen National Union, the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army and the All Burma Students' Democratic Front.
The ethnic delegation met with government representatives in Nay Pyi Taw on October 12, and the announcement was made during their meeting.
The other five groups - Chin National Front, Pa-Oh National Liberation Organisation, Karen National Liberation Army - Peace Council, Democratic Karen Benevolent Army and Arakan Liberation Party – committed to sign the NCA are not on the black list.
Twenty local witnesses, including Aung San Suu Kyi and Khun Tun Oo, were invited to the NCA signing ceremony.
Suu Kyi expressed concern over the partial participation of ethnic armed groups in the agreement.
“We understood that the nationwide ceasefire would include the whole country. To the best of our knowledge, there are seventeen ethnic armed groups. And we learned that not more than eight groups will sign the deal. If we’re invited, the party will send a representative. We want all ethnic groups to sign the agreement. We believe we should sign the agreement only if it’s signed by all parties. If we sign it without the others, we’re afraid it would estrange them. We welcome the progress on the ceasefire deal, but we’d like to participate in the agreement only if it’s fully inclusive,” Suu Kyi said on October 11.
