Myanmar’s largest guerrilla alliance to attend peace conference
Myanmar’s largest guerrilla alliance to attend peace conference
Mizzima, 27 Aug 2016
URL: http://www.mizzima.com/news-domestic/myanmar%E2%80%99s-largest-guerrilla-alliance-attend-peace-conference
The United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), an alliance of eleven ethnic minority guerrilla groups in Myanmar, announced it will take part in next week's peace conference convened by the government.
UNFC took the decision Thursday night during a meeting at Chiang Mai in northern Thailand, following a meet with Burmese authorities to set the framework for discussions, according to news portal The Irrawaddy.
De facto Burmese leader and driving force behind the initiative, Aung San Suu Kyi, had proposed the talks should focus on political and security matters, but the minorities also wanted to discuss social and economic issues, besides issues related to land and natural resources.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will also participate in the five-day meet that is set to bring together 1,800 delegates from the government, political parties and guerrilla groups, besides observers from the diplomatic corps, the UN and other international organizations.
UNFC took the decision Thursday night during a meeting at Chiang Mai in northern Thailand, following a meet with Burmese authorities to set the framework for discussions, according to news portal The Irrawaddy.
De facto Burmese leader and driving force behind the initiative, Aung San Suu Kyi, had proposed the talks should focus on political and security matters, but the minorities also wanted to discuss social and economic issues, besides issues related to land and natural resources.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will also participate in the five-day meet that is set to bring together 1,800 delegates from the government, political parties and guerrilla groups, besides observers from the diplomatic corps, the UN and other international organizations.