May 23, 2020
The national coordination committee for negotiating COVID-19 measures with ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) held an online video conference with the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP) from the National Reconciliation and Peace Centre (NRPC) yesterday.
Joining the conference on the government’s side were national committee chairman Dr Tin Myo Win, committee members, and members of the advisory board to the Peace Commission while KNPP Vice-Chairman Khu Oo Reh led the party’s representatives.
Dr Tin Myo Win and Khu Oo Reh first delivered separate opening speeches.
National committee vice-chairman Lt-Gen (retd) Khin Zaw Oo said they explained the seven points of agreements discussed with the ten NCA-S EAOs on 8 May and discussed containment and treatment of COVID-19, the matter of people returning from overseas and uncovering persons suspected of the disease and those who have been in close contact with positive cases, acquiring international aid, and further cooperation.
Peace Commission advisory board member U Hla Maung Shwe said they are reaching out to ethnic armed organizations who have not signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement as COVID-19 is a concern for everyone.
He said they discussed the same six topics they discussed with the NCA signatories, which includes containing COVID-19, treatment, people who will be returning from across the border, acquiring international aid, handling people who had been in close contact with positive cases, and other general matters.
While the KNPP has not been a signatory of the NCA, they signed a bilateral ceasefire agreement with the Government on 7 March 2012 for the state level.
When asked about the KNPP’s discussions, U Hla Maung Shwe said they explained they had 18 screening points for COVID-19 along the border with Thailand they are located in. He said they also had mobile medical groups disseminating public awareness on the disease.
U Hla Maung Shwe said Kayah State is currently the only state/region without COVID-19 and is lucky to have no positive cases in Mae Hong Son Province that it shares a border with.
The national coordination committee will distribute humanitarian aid for COVID-19 to EAOs in the coming week.—Ye Khaung Nyunt (Translated by Zaw Htet Oo)
