Leader of the information team of the State Administration Council (SAC) and Deputy Minister for Information Maj-Gen Zaw Min Tun warned some ethnic armed organizations not to encourage and support the People Defense Force (PDF) at a news conference held at the Ministry of Information in Nay Pyi Taw on August 27.
It was attended by representatives of Myanmar based foreign embassies and media.
“We have found that some EAOs are providing arms to the terrorists so called PDF, giving training to them, and recruiting them. They kill and torture those trying to flee their areas, and such acts of killing innocent people are quite contrary to peace. If only peace prevails in the entire country, the meaning of a free and fair election will be perfect. Arms insurgency can affect the image of the free and fair election. So, I would like to warn some EAOs not to support the terrorists,” said Maj-Gen Zaw Min Tun.
He added that TNLA conducted training to PDF and provided arms assistances near Naung Bo Lay village in Naungcho Township. They provided them arms and arranged them to go to Mandalay and Sagaing regions to commit destructive acts. We have shown documents and photos of seized arms and locations of training places. Not all EAOs are conducting training or supporting arms to PDF, but some EAOs’ Brigades are providing them.
He continued that they had arrested Thet Htar Naung, a member of the NLD party, who supported terrorists in Mohnyin Township to do training courses at KIA Brigade No-8 on August 4. According to her confessions, people who sent youths to attend courses at EAOs are NLD party members.
He added that in the SAC’s Five-Point Roadmap and Nine Objectives, it was written that agreements in the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) will be abided by to obtain peace in the entire Myanmar. At the NCA third anniversary held on 15-10-2018, Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing who is also Prime Minister of our country also said that there is nothing more important than peace. If one desires peace, one has to act in line with the peace process.
He concluded that whether EAOs have signed or not in the NCA in the multi-party democracy system of Myanmar, they have to do in accordance with democratic norms.
