Gov’t of Myanmar and armed ethnic groups to hold talks in April
Kachin Independence Army soldiers on the frontline near Laiza, Kachin State. (Steve Tickner | Frontier)
NAYPYITAW, Apr 1, 2019, Myanmar Times. The government and the Tatmadaw (military) will hold talks with the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) and Karen National Union (KNU) in April, according to U Zaw Htay, director general of the President’s Office, reported the Myanmar Times.
“We have plans to meet twice with KIO in April – once between April 2 and April 9 and again after Thingyan (April 13-16),” he said at a press conference at the media centre of the President’s Office on Friday.
At both meetings, the KIO will meet with the National Reconciliation and Peace Centre (NRPC) and the military negotiation team, he added.
“It will mainly discuss the counter proposal to be sent by the KIO on the Deed of Commitment proposed by the Peace Commission,” he said.
The KNU has also agreed to hold talks with the NRPC and the military during April, he said.
“It was proposed to hold the talks during April 11-12, but they are still trying to fix a date,” he added.
After the military announced a ceasefire for four months in five military regions, the Shan State Progress Party and Restoration Council of Shan State attended talks in Nay Pyi Taw. They will hold further discussions with the government and military on reaching an agreement to cooperate on the placement of troops in these regions to avoid conflict,” U Zaw Htay said, without giving an exact timeframe for the discussions.
Despite the military’s unilateral ceasefire on December 21, the military and armed ethnic groups clashed 24 times in the North-Eastern Area Command from February 22 to March 23, said Major General Soe Naing Oo of the military’s True News agency.
Also, the armed ethnic groups fought each other 12 times in the first month, 13 times in the second, and 15 times in the third month, he added.
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