ZCZC
BFF-05
MYANMAR-CEASEFIRE
Myanmar pledges to continue peace process in accordance with military
announcement
YANGON, Dec 22, 2018 (BSS/XINHUA) – Myanmar’s National Reconciliation and
Peace Center (NRPC) has pledged to continue to strive towards the
participation of eight remaining non-ceasefire signatory ethnic armed
organizations in political dialogue, while strengthening the ceasefire
already achieved with 10 armed organizations.
The NRPC made the pledge in a press release issued late on Friday in
response to a military announcement issued earlier on the day that the
military will suspend of all its military action against armed groups in
operation areas in five military command regions for over four months
starting from December 21 until April 30, 2019.
Welcoming the military’s announcement, the NRPC stressed the importance to
hold discussions during the peace process to reduce mutual concerns existing
between the armed forces and the armed organizations on military matters.
According to Friday’s announcement of the Office of the Commander-in-Chief
of the Defense Services, during the military’s non-operation period, ethnic
armed groups in respective operation areas are to negotiate for ceasefire and
peace with the NRPC and group-wise negotiations are also needed with all
those remaining non-ceasefire signatory armed groups scattered in the
northern, northeastern, eastern, middle-eastern and triangle military command
areas to sign the Nationwide Cease fire Accord (NCA).
The military’s announcement came after December 12 joint statement of the
non-ceasefire signatory Northern Alliance Ethnic Forces, comprising three
ethnic armed groups, in which the armed groups voiced support for the
government’s efforts for national reconciliation and nationwide peace.
The three forces, which are Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army
(MNDAA), Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and Arakan Army (AA),
expressed their desire to join hands with government forces to settle
military dispute and political matters through dialogue.
In order to realize peace as early as possible and create a status of
peace, the three alliance forces hoped for suspension of military action to
pave way for political engagement to achieve national reconciliation and
peace. So far, 10 ethnic armed groups have signed the NCA with the government
since it was initiated in October 2015 and the 21st Century Panglong Peace
Conferences were held three times during the incumbent government in August
2016, May 2017 and July 2018 respectively.
There remains eight armed groups including the Northern Alliance groups
which have not yet signed the NCA. Of them, three issued the December 12
joint statement.
BSS/XINHUA/SSS/0911 hrs