THE National Reconciliation and Peace Centre (NRPC) and the Karen National Union (KNU) held a meeting at NRPC in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday morning. At the meeting, NRPC member Union Attorney General U Tun Tun Oo delivered an opening speech saying following the simultaneous announcements by KNU and RCSS after October 2018, the peace discussions were temporarily suspended and during this period NRPC and KNU had held six informal meetings.

Those meetings were held by both sides in a positive way so that the peace process was not suspended, to prevent moving from difference in opinion toward armed conflict and to prevent harms from falling on locals who would be most affected. Due to those efforts and thanks to all who had strived toward this, no big conflicts arose during the time when the peace process was suspended.

It was usual for a peace journey to have lows and highs and rises and dips. The main point was for the participants to have a strong political and personal wills toward establishing peace. Armed conflicts in Myanmar were born together with its independence and were known in the world and all as the longest running armed conflict. Generations have witnessed the armed conflict and to date it had not ceased.

All of us did not start this armed conflict. We were all participating in the efforts toward ending the conflict and to achieve a sustainable peace. It would be very easy to end the peaceful situation that had just been reached.

Peacemakers were decisive and courageous people. KNU Chairman Phahti (father in Kayin language) Mutu Sae Poe had said that peace could be established only with courage while State Counsellor had said that negotiations and mediations required courage and valor.

International negotiations as well as during the early period of NCA negotiation had shown that when political discussions reached a serious stage, concerns on the security sector pulls back from all sides and thus the NCA was drawn up to resolve everything based on discussions and negotiations.

The Tatmadaw government and ethnic armed organizations that had signed the NCA had firmly pledged to cooperate and work together until completion of matters outlined in the NCA. The Declaration of the third session of the Union Peace Conference – 21st Century Panglong was made with the consent of all the representatives who were in attendance.

The aim of the declaration was for all to strive towards achieving the targets at the various stages of the conference. But outsiders interpreted the declaration in various ways while relevant organizations and entities had also drawn up their own conclusions relating to it. All need to bear in mind that during the time when the NCA was negotiated the sector on foreign participation was discussed in depth and with care. Each organization and entity would have their own set policy and stand.

But it was important that these policies and stands were not to be held onto firmly as a certain amount of flexibility and the right to give and take must be granted to the negotiators. Because in a political negotiation, it was not possible for any group to get every wish they had. Negotiations would be successful only when mutual understanding and trust were established.

The government, NRPC Chairman and the State Counsellor would not blame anyone. All were considered to be walking towards peace, travelling on the same boat, on the same journey.

Whatever problem or difficulty an organization or entity faced, we would all overcome and resolve it with good will through meetings and negotiations. Looking back historically, it could be seen that political discussions were done only at our time through agreements by both sides.

There were peace offers during the Revolutionary Council time but it had not been successful. During the Tatmadaw government period, ceasefire agreements were reached and political discussions were left to be conducted by the government that would come into power through the elections. During the term of the previous government, up to eight ethnic armed organizations had signed the NCA.

The Union Peace Conference was held according to a time table so the stage of political discussion was not reached. Now, there were political discussions. These political discussions could be said to be the historical outcomes. As this was the first ever political discussion in the country, no one had any experience in it. There would be indigestions, difficulties and challenges for sure.

It was important that all consider these as difficulties and challenges could be resolved through discussions and negotiations. As we change to a new situation from old, there would be resistance and frictions for sure. When creating change, resistance would be encountered. Political discussions would be smooth and successful if all groups helped one another and worked towards resolving each other’s difficulties.

The Union government wanted to start official discussions as soon as possible. To do this, it was ready to overcome and work on any difficulty together. KNU leaders were highly appreciated for coming to the NRPC despite facing many difficulties.

All were urged to openly raise the difficulties faced so that a solution could be found together, said the Union Attorney General. In return the KNU General Secretary Pado Saw Tado Moo said the aim of coming over for an informal meeting was to discuss how to overcome the differences. Even though it was an informal meeting, discussions should be open and free based on country, situation and political culture. Only then could we find a solution towards how to go on.

The KNU would like to reiterate that it had firmly resolved to carry on as stated in the NCA. We cherish and value the achievements of the NCA and the result of the political culture existing between us. We expect to achieve a definition with the understanding and trust of the other side. We believe that we were facing these difficulties because we have never had this experience before in the peace process.

Although the NCA came about from two differing situations, we need to continue our discussions until reaching a mutually acceptable situation. Defining the statements in the NCA in a separate way would be something that must be overcome and resolved through discussions and negotiations.

In addition to firmly pledging to work towards completion of matters outlined in the NCA, with equality, mutual respect, a new political culture of thorough discussion and negotiation without using force. It was believed that reconciliation, mutual understanding and trust could be established, said the KNU General Secretary. Next NRPC member LtGen Min Naung, secretary Deputy Minister U Khin Maung Tin, Peace Commission Deputy Chairman U Thein Zaw, Peace Commission Advisory Group member U Hla Maung Shwe, support group member U Moe Zaw Oo and U Zaw Htay, Director-General from the Ministry of the Office of the State Counsellor explained about implementation of the NCA for eternal peace in the country, establishing of pre and post 2020 peace process works of NRPC, overcoming difficulties and future works.

Afterwards, KNU General Secretary and representatives explained about establishing a union based on the NCA, deep differences between organizations, setting up of future work processes and work processes of KNU for arriving at sustainable peace.

Later, NRPC members and KNU representatives discussed on establishing sustainable peace and general matters. In their concluding speeches both the KNU General Secretary and the Union Attorney General spoke of their satisfaction on the progress of the meeting. The Union Attorney General urged all to strive towards holding more informal meetings and regular meetings.

The meeting was attended by NRPC member Lt-Gen Min Naung, secretary Deputy Minister U Khin Maung Tin, Peace Commission Deputy Chairman U Thein Zaw, Peace Commission Advisory Group member U Hla Maung Shwe, support group member U Moe Zaw Oo and Ministry of the Office of the State Counsellor Director General U Zaw Htay, KNU General Secretary Pado Saw Tado Moo, joint secretary 2 Pado Saw Hla Tun, permanent central committee member Pado Saw Se Gay and negotiation team members on military matters. —MNA (Translated by Zaw Min)