Non-Signatories Forgo Sending Delegation to NCA Anniversary

By Kyaw Kha 13 October 2017

YANGON — Non-signatories of the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) will not attend an event in Naypyitaw on Sunday to mark the two-year anniversary of the signing of the accord.

Ethnic bloc United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) stated it would not attend because it had little time to prepare for the event.

The government accepted on Tuesday the request of eight NCA signatories to allow NCA non-signatories to join the event—just four days before the event scheduled on Sunday.

The UNFC comprises the New Mon State Party (NMSP), Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), Lahu Democratic Union (LDU) and Arakan National Council (ANC).

NMSP is considering signing the NCA before the third session of the 21st Century Panglong, which is expected to take place in November.

Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC)—a United Wa State Army (UWSA)-led group of seven ethnic armed groups based in northern Myanmar—will not attend the event because the government only invited some of the group’s members and not the entire bloc.

FPNCC comprises the UWSA, Kachin Independence Army (KIA), National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA), Shan State Progressive Party (SSPP), Myanmar Nationalities Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), and Arakan Army (AA).

The Myanmar Army has repeatedly said it would not hold peace talks with the MNDAA, TNLA and AA because they came to existence only after the emergence of a democratic government, in contrast to other long-established ethnic armed groups.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.