The Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) announced on February 28 that they will reconsider the decision to attend the meetings of Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC) and Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Committee (JMC) planned to hold in second week of March due to the recent fighting between army and their forces in Mongkai Township, southern Shan State.

Although the RCSS agreed to attend the meetings on February 24, they will review the decision, it said.

Four army battalions consisting of about 400 soldiers attacked the RCSS base in Lwetwan Mountain in Hannging village tract, Mongkai Township on February 27 using heavy weapons and the fighting was still continued for the next day, the announcement said.

The RCSS said the attack may cause a feeling of doubt over the position of the army in related with agreements from Eighth Joint Implementing Coordination Meeting (JICM).

After General Yawd Serk, Chairman of the RCSS took over the position of acting leader of the Peace Process Steering Team (PPST) in March 2019, the RCSS is trying to continue the peace process. They had eight agreements including to hold the Fourth Meeting of 21st Century Panglong Conference in the JICM meeting held on January 8, it said.

The RCSS is cooperating with the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement- Signatories; Ethnic Armed Organizations (NCA-S EAO) to implement the agreements resulted from the eight meeting of the JICM.

On the other hand, the RCSS met with the military leaders to build mutual trust to some extent, it said.