Myanmar ethnic armies call for all-inclusive cease-fire, end of hostilities

2015-05-07

Armed ethnic group leaders attend a meeting at the headquarters of the United Wa State Army in Pangsang in Myanmar's northern Shan state, May 1, 2015. AFP

Myanmar's armed ethnic groups have called on the government to include all ethnic rebel armies in a final nationwide cease-fire agreement (NCA) and to cease hostilities against three of the groups if the peace deal is to proceed, sources said Thursday.

At the end of a six-day summit to discuss a draft NCA at the headquarters of the United Wa State Army in Pangsang, Shan state, representatives of 12 armed ethnic groups released a 12-point statement outlining their demands to government negotiators before a final deal could be signed.

The statement urged Myanmar's army to end fighting with the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) in Shan state's Kokang region, the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) in northern Shan state, and the Arakan Army (AA) in Rakhine state and called on the government to include the three groups in a final NCA.

It also requested mediation from the United Nations and China on the NCA process, called for an end to human rights violations committed by government troops in ethnic areas, pressed for reform of Myanmar's 2008 junta-backed constitution, and demanded the creation of a Wa state as part of a federal union.

Khu Oo Yal, secretary of the United Wa State Army (UWSA), which hosted the summit, told RFA's Myanmar Service that there could be no final NCA without the MDNAA, an ethnic Chinese group also known as the Kokang army, the TNLA and the AA.

"We all agreed that every ethnic armed group should be included when the final NCA is signed to make it a truly 'nationwide' agreement," he said.

If the government refuses, rebel groups will continue negotiations in a peaceful way, Khu Oo Yal said, though he warned that if their demands are not met "the problem of the ethnic armed groups will never be solved."

"We all need to think seriously about this if we really want peace in our country," he said.

"These armed groups will keep fighting with the government army if they are ignored. That's why we all are urging the government to include all ethnic armed groups when the final NCA is signed."

In late March, the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) coalition of 16 armed ethnic groups signed a draft peace deal with the government's Union Peace-Making Work Committee (UPWC), but while the two parties agreed on most of the accord's content, some areas of disagreement remained.

On Tuesday, the MNDAA, TNLA and AA threatened to pull out of Myanmar's draft NCA on Tuesday in light of continued military offensives by government troops.

Even though all three groups are NCCT members, the government does not recognize the MNDAA and AA as such, and the TNLA has not signed a bilateral cease-fire agreement with the government. Before the summit, which began on May 1, the government had put pressure on the ethnic groups attending the summit to exclude the trio.

Wa involvement

Khu Oo Yal said the summit did not address specific points of the draft NCA, but noted that participants had agreed to hold another meeting to discuss the deal that would include the 12 participants of the Pangsang Summit as well as other ethnic groups that had not been present.

"The UWSA will also organize this new meeting to discuss in detail what we need to prepare for signing a final NCA in order to have peace as soon as possible, although we haven't decided when or where we will hold it," he said.

UWSA spokesperson Aung Myint told RFA that while his organization was helping to organize the negotiating position of Myanmar's ethnic armies, it had no intention of signing the final NCA.

"Our leaders have said that we have already had a [bilateral] ceasefire in place with the government for 26 years and we haven't had any fighting during that time – that's why we don't need to sign a final NCA, but we will take part in the [subsequent] political dialogue," he said.

Aung Myint also addressed a proposal that would see the Wa region become an official state in Myanmar, which was supported by the ethnic groups attending the Pangsang Summit and recently delivered to parliament for debate.

"We are saying that it is our right to have our own state – it doesn't mean we would divide from Shan state," he said, adding that the state would also be a part of a federal union in Myanmar.

Government response

Hla Maung Shwe, an advisor with the government-affiliated Myanmar Peace Center (MPC), responded to the 12 points in the Pangsang statement, saying they would be considered, but adding that the demands were only those of the 12 groups who attended the talks.

"If another meeting is held that includes other groups, there will be other demands," he said.

Hla Maung Shwe said the central government would consider asking the U.N. to help oversee the peace process, but not China, because Myanmar will not include individual foreign countries as mediators.

The ethnic Chinese Kokang and the Wa ethnic minorities live in a mountainous region on Myanmar's border with China and have strong cultural links with the country.

Hla Maung Shwe added that there will be "certain restrictions or limits" for including ethnic groups in signing a peace agreement "as the Wa group does not plan to join the final NCA signing event because of its bilateral ceasefire with government from 26 years ago."

He did not specify what restrictions might be applied or which groups might be affected.

Reported by Thiha Tun, Thin Thiri, Khin Khin Ei, Waiyan Moe Myint, and Kyaw Myo Min for RFA's Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.

Link to original story on RFA website