Myanmar's Thein Sein pushes politicians to sign cease-fire deal

2015-01-12

Myanmar President Thein Sein held a meeting with nearly 50 top politicians and ethnic leaders on Monday at his residence in Naypyidaw to discuss constitutional reform and press them to reach a nationwide cease-fire agreement next month, a leader of an opposition party said.

Myanmar President Thein Sein prepares for talks with army top brass and political rivals, including Aung San Suu Kyi, in Naypyidaw, Oct. 30, 2014. AFP

Thein Sein met with 48 leaders from the country's ethnic, military, and political groups in a bid to press them to sign a nationwide cease-fire deal on Myanmar's Union Day, Feb. 12, so the country can move forward with political dialogue soon afterwards, Khin Maung Shwe, leader of the National Democratic Force (NDF) party, told RFA's Myanmar Service.

Khin Maung Swe said the participants had 10 minutes each to discuss their positions, although some took only three to five minutes.

If needed, Thein Sein will create a "third force group," in addition to the government's Union Peacemaking Work Committee (UPWC) and the National Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT), an alliance of armed ethnic organizations, to push those involved in the process to reach a deal by Feb. 12, Khin Maung Swe said.

Thein Sein also urged the start of political dialogue as soon a nationwide cease-fire agreement is inked, he added.

At the meeting, Shwe Mann, speaker of the lower house of Parliament, said lawmakers would collaborate with others on a peace deal and change some points of the constitution that should be amended but leave others that should not be amended unchanged, Khin Maung Swe said.

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, commander-in-chief of Myanmar's army forces said the military would work with the multiple-party system that was chosen by people, according to Khin Maung Swe.

Min Aung Hlaing also said the reform process should not be hasty, but rather be a step-by-step process in which the military would collaborate with others to amend constitution if people wanted to amend it.

Khin Maung Swe said he suggested that the government issue the principal points of discussion from the meeting, and that the parties involved should sign a cease-fire deal as soon as they agree on one.

"We should sign the cease-fire agreement and at the same time political dialogues should be held, and economic reform should be done at the same time as political reform," he said.

Meeting agenda

The president's invitation letter said the meeting agenda would focus on continued efforts for democratization and reform, holding of political talks for national reconciliation, and holding of free and fair elections in 2015, according to a report by Eleven Myanmar media group.

"Everybody has welcomed the president's wish to sign the nationwide cease-fire agreement on Myanmar's Union Day, February 12," said Ye Htut, the information minister and presidential spokesman.

"And we have discussed what we should do so it can be possible. We have different points of views on it, such as if we should wait until every group can sign it together or sign it first and open the door for the other groups that haven't agreed to it to sign it."

But Aung San Suu Kyi, chairperson of the of the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), who had originally pushed for four-party talks among herself, Thein Sein, speaker of the lower house of parliament Shwe Mann, and Min Aung Hlaing, called for six-party talks for national reconciliation after Monday's meeting.

"We believe we must hold six-party talks," said Aung San Suu Kyi. "Today's discussion was not like a six-party talk. I don't accept the idea that only parliament has the responsibility to amend the constitution. Everybody has a responsibility to do this."

Aung San Suu Kyi is seeking amendments to the current 2008 constitution that gives the military which had run the country since 1962 considerable political power, such as appointment – not election – to a quarter of parliamentary seats and veto power over constitutional changes.

The constitution also bans Aung San Suu Kyi from the presidency because her two sons are British nationals.

Past meetings

Thein Sein previously agreed to consider six-party talks, which would include speaker of the upper house of parliament Khin Aung Myint and a representative of the ethnic parties, after parliament approved a proposal submitted on Nov. 25 by the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).

The president met with lawmakers from more than 60 political parties on Nov. 26 in the commercial capital Yangon.

On Jan. 5, he urged leaders from 12 of the country's 16 armed ethnic groups, represented in the NCCT, to strive hard to reach a nationwide cease-fire accord with the government by Feb. 12.

The president is eager to sign a nationwide cease-fire agreement before the country's next general elections late this year.

When the UPWC and the NCCT last met on Dec. 22 to discuss a cease-fire deal, negotiators had focused on a draft cease-fire accord.

Most of Myanmar's ethnic groups have been fighting for decades but have temporary, bilateral cease-fire agreements with the government, except for the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA).

Sporadic attacks by armed ethnic groups and government forces in various hotspots around the country have prevented significant progress in the ongoing talks between government and rebel negotiators.

The armed ethnic rebel groups and the government failed to reach a nationwide cease-fire agreement last September after five days of talks following disagreements over military issues and a format for talks on providing greater power to ethnic states.

Myanmar's ethnic groups have been seeking a federal system since the former British colony known as Burma gained independence after World War II, but the country's former military rulers have resisted their efforts because they equate local autonomy with separatism.

Reported by Win Naung Toe, Myo Thant Khine and Wai Mar Tun of RFA's Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.

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