Peace Commission to meet as ceasefire signatories withdraw from peace process
Peace Commission to meet as ceasefire signatories withdraw from peace process
Frontier Myanmar, 12 Nov 2018
URL: https://frontiermyanmar.net/en/peace-commission-to-meet-as-ceasefire-signatories-withdraw-from-peace-process
YANGON — the government’s Union Peace Commission has scheduled a meeting in Nay Pyi Taw this week to address the recent decision by the two largest ethnic signatories to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement to suspend their involvement in state-led peace talks.
In an unprecedented blow to the peace process that was initiated by the Thein Sein administration, the Karen National Union said in an October 27 letter to State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi that it would temporarily withdraw from peace talks. The group said it needed to address internal concerns around a high-level meeting last month that failed to achieve a breakthrough over key obstacles to a peace agreement.
Speaking to Frontier on November 10, U Aung Soe, a member of the peace commission, said it would also discuss a November 1 announcement by the Restoration Council of Shan State, another NCA signatory that has been fighting alongside the Tatmadaw in Shan State, to temporarily withdraw from Joint Monitoring Committee meetings.
Like the KNU, the RCSS has said it would hold internal discussions about the decision and the future of the group’s involvement in the peace process.
In a November 10 statement, the KNU said conflicts continued in ethnic areas due to violations of the NCA and limitations created during political negotiations.
A Peace Process Steering Team meeting to be chaired by the KNU from November 5 to 7 in Thailand’s Chiang Mai was postponed because it coincided with the group’s emergency meeting.
In an unprecedented blow to the peace process that was initiated by the Thein Sein administration, the Karen National Union said in an October 27 letter to State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi that it would temporarily withdraw from peace talks. The group said it needed to address internal concerns around a high-level meeting last month that failed to achieve a breakthrough over key obstacles to a peace agreement.
Speaking to Frontier on November 10, U Aung Soe, a member of the peace commission, said it would also discuss a November 1 announcement by the Restoration Council of Shan State, another NCA signatory that has been fighting alongside the Tatmadaw in Shan State, to temporarily withdraw from Joint Monitoring Committee meetings.
Like the KNU, the RCSS has said it would hold internal discussions about the decision and the future of the group’s involvement in the peace process.
In a November 10 statement, the KNU said conflicts continued in ethnic areas due to violations of the NCA and limitations created during political negotiations.
A Peace Process Steering Team meeting to be chaired by the KNU from November 5 to 7 in Thailand’s Chiang Mai was postponed because it coincided with the group’s emergency meeting.