- Published on Friday, 23 May 2014 19:36
NCCT met the press after meeting held yesterday (Photo-EMG)
Ethnic armed
groups are arranging to hold a peace conference at Mongla and waiting
for government approval on Friday, according to Khun Oakkar from
Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT).
The NCCT made a
request on May 21 to allow negotiations between ethnic armed groups,
such as the Laiza conference held at the headquarters of the Kachin
Independence Organization (KIO).
“We arranged for the
meeting at Mongla once. I arrived at the border of China but the
arrangement was delayed. We will try hard this time to hold the meeting
and submit what we achieved at the nation-wide ceasefire draft meeting
to all leaders of the ethnic armed groups. We want to hold the meeting
at Mongla but we still don’t know whether the government accept it or
not,” said Khun Oakkar.
The NCCT leaders said
the meeting is required to discuss with their leaders the accomplishment
of the meeting between the government and the NCCT and to establish
nation-wide ceasefire agreement as quickly as possible.
“The meeting is
finished in Chapter 7. After the Chapter 7, the general terms such as
where the meeting will be held next time or whether the joint statement
will release or not or how to assign the points for the top leaders
meeting are discussed. It is a part of the meeting and we will know the
result tomorrow,” said Khun Oakkar in related with the request made to
the government on May 22.
“Our leader of the
Union Peace Making Work Committee said he is ready to help all movements
which will help the peace process. We have held Laiza and Law Khee Lar
conferences. He informed that the government will help what they can to
achieve peace,” said Hla Maung Shwe from Myanmar Peace Centre.
The NCCT is a
coalition of sixteen ethnic armed groups who have come together to
negotiate a nation-wide ceasefire deal with the government.
Organisers insist that
it does not have the right to make any decision regarding individual
member groups, therefore does not have the authority to make a decision
on any agreement.
Therefore another meeting, including top
leaders of all ethnic armed groups, is needed to find compromise and
agree in the word usage for the ceasefire agreement, NCCT said.
______ Eleven Media Group
