YANGON — The government has invited 20 stakeholders for an informal meeting at the National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NPRC) in Yangon on Saturday, July 29, with the aim of updating and consulting them on the peace process.
Among the list of invitees are civil society group members, former lawmakers, prominent writers, Myanmar Press Council representatives, and independent analysts.
It will be the first NRPC stakeholder consultation since the National League for Democracy (NLD) took office. State Counselor’s Office spokeperson U Zaw Htay said it would be an informal gathering without publicity.
Several invitees told The Irrawaddy they are considering whether to attend the meeting, as they said there was no agenda available and no indicator of any particular issue that would be discussed.
“Calling such a meeting with the members of the public who have been following the peace process is a good thing to do,” said one of the invitees, independent analyst U Maung Maung Soe. “But the key decisions are taken by the NRPC and peace commission.”
Under the previous incarnation of the NRPC—the Myanmar Peace Center (MPC)— led by then minister U Aung Min, the former government held two kinds of regular stakeholder meetings.
One was a briefing session comprising more than 80 attendees, including diplomats, INGOs, and UN agencies. The other, called a Community Forum, would give a specific topic for representatives from the government, ethnic armed organizations, civil society groups, and media, as well as experts, to consider and discuss.