Ethnic affairs ministers will begin formally participating in the national peace process through the government’s peace-making committee, the ethnic affairs ministers of Karen and Mon states said.
The move follows an 18 October meeting between ethnic affairs ministers and the Vice-Chair of the Peace-Making Work Committee, Union Minister U Aung Min, at the President’s Office in the capital, Karen Ethnic Affair Minister U Aung Kyaw Thein said.
“The Peace-Making Work Committee’s results will be more successful if it involves the ministers who represent all the ethnic groups from each state,” he said, adding that U Aung Min promised to involve the ethnic affairs ministers in the Peace-Making Work Committee during the 18 October meeting. The meeting was held to discuss the peace process and ceasefire agreements.
Ethnic affairs ministers said a conference bringing together all ethnic groups is being planned and that it will discuss the roles of the union government, its Peace-Making Work Committee, armed ethnic groups and ethnic political parties.
U Naing Chit Oo, ethnic affairs minister for Mon State, told Mizzima that U Aung Min said ethnic affairs ministers from each region and state will participate in drafting the framework and principles for the conference and that they will begin doing so in April.
“U Aung Min promised that he would let the ethnic affair ministers participate in ‘ceasefire work’. He also promised that he would take suggestions from us to set up the framework for second ‘Pin Lone’ conference,” U Naing Chit Oo said.
The 18 October meeting drew President’s Office ministers U Hla Tun and U Aung Min, 29 ethnic affairs ministers and relevant officials.