The Karen National Union will try to convince ethnic armed groups, comprising members and non-members of the National Ceasefire Coordination Team, to accede to nationwide ceasefire.
On Wednesday, the KNU delegation, led by chairperson Saw Mutu Sae Poe, met with President Thein Sein and Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing in Nay Pyi Taw.
The two sides discussed the necessity for the immediate implementation of ceasefire agreement, according to Pado Mann Nyein Maung, KNU’s central executive member.
The KNU also met with Lower House Speaker Thura Shwe Mann.
"An immediate realisation of ceasefire is needed in this country. The country's leaders have talked earnestly about the country's needs, which are to sign the ceasefire agreement and to carry out peace-building. We share the same views as them," said Pado Mann Nyein Maung.
"There are many things that we must do. We will share the views of the government and the military at our upcoming meetings with the ethnic people. We will persuade them. We will negotiate with them directly and persuade them in order to immediately implement the ceasefire. When we meet with the ethnic armed groups, we have also travelled to Wa and Mong La areas to meet with ethnic armed groups who are not members of the NCCT. The reason why we went there is because the KNU wants the whole country to participate in the peace-building process," he added.
The KNU is an ethnic armed group that has met five times with the President and six times with the Commander-In-Chief to discuss internal peace issues. As a member of the NCCT, it is participating in the drafting of the nationwide ceasefire agreement between the government and the ethnic armed groups.
The government and the NCCT have reached an agreement onthis month’s next round of peace talksto discuss the completion of the second draft of the nationwide ceasefire agreement.
The NCCT plans either to call a meeting with the top leaders of ethnic armed groups or to hold a separate meeting with each group to get the views of the top leaders for the final draft of the ceasefire agreement.
Representatives from five non-NCCT rebel groups—the United Wa State Army (UWSA), the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA), the National Democratic Alliance Army, the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K), and the All Burma Students Democratic Front (ABSDF)—had participated in the peace talks between the government and the NCCT in April.
Although NCCT leaders have underlined the importance of the inclusion of non-members of the NCCT in the peace talks, it remains uncertain whether the non-members would participate in the signing of the nationwide ceasefire agreement.
The NCCT is a coalition of sixteen ethnic armed groups who have come together to negotiate a nationwide ceasefire deal with the government.