Government negotiators and ethnic NCA signatories meet in informal discussions in Thailand

Government negotiators and ethnic NCA signatories meet in informal discussions in Thailand
Government negotiators and NCA signatories meet in peace discussion in Thailand on August 19. (Photo-Myo Win Facebook Page)
Government negotiators and NCA signatories meet in peace discussion in Thailand on August 19. (Photo-Myo Win Facebook Page)
Published 20 August 2019
Min Naing Soe

The government peace negotiators and ethnic NCA signatories held an informal discussion in Chiang Mai, Thailand on August 19.

The government peace team was comprised of Lt-Gen Khin Zaw Oo, Secretary of the Government Peace Commission, member Hla Maung Shwe, Moe Zaw Oo and Zaw Htay, Director-General of the State Counsellor Office.

The government peace delegation formed by the National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC) and 10 ethnic NCA signatories met in Chiang Mai at 3.30 pm of Thai local time on August 19 and the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP) in the morning of the same day.

The government peace negotiators met  the Karen National Union (KNU) in the morning of the following day and the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) in the afternoon of the same day.

The NRPC sent a letter to the KNU on August 15 to hold an informal meeting in Chiang Mai, Thailand on August 20.

"The peace process has not moved forward for about 10 months and that we hope for positive discussions and we are preparing for meeting with the KNU and the RCSS one by one. We are going tomorrow and we are going to meet on August 19 and 20. Especially we are to resume regular positive discussions on our side as quickly as possible," said Hla Maung Shwe, a government peace negotiator on August 17.

The government peace commission met the NCA-S EAO in Chiang Mai, Thailand on August 19 and then would submit peace matters to the meeting of the PPST to be held on August 21 and that the four proposed points as to the peace process would be discussed, the NCA-S EAO Office reported on August 19.

The UPDJC held its informal meeting at the NRPC in Yangon on June 13 and 14, during which the government peace negotiators proposed four points to ethnic armed organisations in order to move the peace process forward.

The meeting of the PPST formed with ethnic NCA signatories will continue till August 24 in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The government peace negotiators came to hold informal meetings with ethnic armed organisations before the meeting of the PPST.

Translated and Edited by Win Htut