Negotiations are being conducted with organizations concerned to call a meeting of Peace Process Steering Team (PPST) formed with eight NCA signatories, said General Secretary Phado Saw Tardo Hmu of the Karen National Union (KNU).

The PPST meeting was arranged to be held during November in 2018, but the KNU substituted General Saw Mutu Say Poe, the KNU representative to the PPST, with General Secretary Phado Saw Tardo Hmu.

NCA signatories sent a letter to General Saw Mutu Say Poe who is chairing the PPST at the end of November in 2018, demanding that the PPST meeting would be called to focus on changes in the PPST and leadership role as well as peace process. 

Remaining eight ethnic armed organizations agreed ceasefire with the government demanded again on January 10 in 2019 to call a meeting of the PPST. The KNU has started negotiations to call the meeting of the PPST, General Secretary Phado Saw Tardo Hmu told the Daily Eleven newspaper.

“We have a plan to hold a meeting. It must be held. We will have to do it. We still negotiate. We are negotiating with the organizations concerned,” said Phado Saw Tardo Hmu.

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, 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. The leader of the PPST is General Saw Mutu Say Poe and second leader is General Ywet Sit, Chairman of the RCSS.  

  Translated and Edited by Win Htut