Myanmar ethnic leaders meet in Kachin state ahead of historic peace talks

The leaders of 17 ethnic armed groups and organizations in Myanmar gathered Wednesday in a border town in northern Kachin state to prepare for the upcoming Union Peace Conference, also known as the 21st century Panglong Agreement, slated for August in Naypitaw.

Dozens of leaders and representatives met in Mai Ja Yang to draft a consensus paper on principles for the upcoming summit named Panglong after a 1947 accord granting autonomy to Kachin, Shan and Chin groups.

The Union Peace Convention aims to lay down a constitution for the new federal democratic Union of Myanmar led by Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party, and armed groups are hoping to reach a consensus on key issues ahead of negotiations with the Burmese government.

According to Colonel Okkar from the Paulaung National Liberation Organization (PNLO), the politics of the federal system under democracy will be hashed out, as well as security issues.

“In the tradition of our country, the armed forces are deemed to be primarily responsible for security so we need to discuss what is to be done on security sector reform and how it will adapt to a federal union,” said Okkar, as cited by the Ethnic Nationalities Affairs Center (ENAC).

With 20plus ethnic armed groups in Myanmar, the peace process initiated in August 2011 by Thein Sein and now taken up Suu Kyi has been riddled with complications, many stemming from the exclusion of more than 12 groups from a ceasefire signed in October 2015.

Notably absent from Mai Jai Yang today were the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) from the eastern Kokang region of Myanmar, the powerful United Wa State Army and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), which is in conflict with the Shan State Army that attended, according to the Myanmar Times newspaper.

In addition, more than 100,000 people remain displaced in northern Kachin state from a conflict that has raged between the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the Burmese military since June 2011.

Ethnic representatives say they are nevertheless hopeful that the peace process can eventually be successful to dispel over 60 years of civil war in the resourcerich nation.

“The KNU believes that the Peace Process can bring change and hope for all people including regional stability, and contribute towards a better future for Burma,” notes the Karen National Union on its website, also stressing that the legitimacy of the process must be safeguarded to ensure input from all stakeholders.