All ethnic armed groups must participate in peace process to build a federal democracy state: KNU

Emergency meeting of KNU’s Central Executive Committee (Photo-KNU)

Published 8 October 2018

Min Naing Soe

The government needs to create situations for ethnic armed groups that haven’t signed nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) yet to build a future federal democracy state which is desired by the government, army and ethnic armed groups, according to emergency meeting of Karen National Union (KNU) Central Executive Committee held on October 5 and 6 at its headquarters Lawkhila.

The announcement pointed out the future of democracy and a federal state, which will be built in line with the result of political talks, are agreed in the NCA and required to set principles for common objectives and values.

The obstacles in political process are to accept the army as the only armed forces and not to separate from the nation. The meeting decided to submit the issue to the upcoming summit of ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) which have signed the NCA with the government.

It said that the KNU believed the efforts to obtain basic principles of a federal democracy through 21st Century Panglong Conference, it depended on negotiations and resolutions of the above mentioned obstacles.

The government said they will try to obtain basic principles of a federal democracy by holding the 21st Century Panglong Conference three times next year.

The KNU is involved in the whole peace process and it has announced to overcome obstacles faced in the peace process.

At the present, the KNU signed the NCA along with other nine ethnic armed groups including Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), Chin National Front (CNF), Pa-O National Liberation Army (PNLO) and New Mon State Party (NMSP).

Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP) is making negotiation with the government to sign the NCA.

Other ethnic armed groups such as United Wa State Army (UWSA), Kachin Independence Army (KIA/KIO), Shan State Progressive Party (SSPP), National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA), Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), Arakan Army (AA) and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) are still making negotiations appropriately with the government to involve in peace process.