NAYPYITAW- The meeting of Peace Process Steering Team (PPST) being led by leaders of ethnic armed groups which had signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) is launched in Chiang Mai, Thailand, today. The meeting will be taken two days.

Although the NCA signatories held the PPST meeting in Nay Pyi Taw on October 14th, there have been difficulties to hold the upcoming meetings.

“In PPST meeting, we are going to discuss about the obstacles to the peace process. How to overcome the obstacles? What are doing in future program?” said Col. Sai Nguen, General Secretary -2 of Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS).

The PPST was formed with eight signatories who will be discussing about reform of the type of PPST during two-day PPST meeting.

Although General Saw Mutu Say Poe, Chairman of Karen National Union (KNU), is chairing the PPST, the KNU substituted General Saw Mutu Say Poe with General Secretary Phado Saw Tardo Hmu.

That’s why the substitution may be approved within the PPST meeting. The second leader of the PPST is General Ywet Sit, Chairman of RCSS.

The PPST formed with top leaders of ethnic armed organizations is to lead policy affairs in the peace process.

The PPST was formed with the KNU, the RCSS, the DKBA, the KNU/KNLA-PC, the CNF, and the ABSDF the PNLO and the ALP in October in 2015.

On February 13 in 2018, the NMSP and the LDU joined the PPST to be a part. The third summit of NCA signatories was held in Chiang Mai, Thailand from 8 September to 11 in 2018.

After holding the two-day meeting of PPST, the delegates from Government’s Peace Commission will arrive in Thailand and they have plans to meet with the NCA signatories, according to the Col. Sai Nguen.