The two-day unofficial meeting between the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee and the signatories to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement concluded yesterday in Yangon, with the stakeholders proposing another meeting in July.

“A proposal was made to resume the meetings of the UPDJC Secretariat. After that, official meetings are expected to be resumed. Thereafter, the peace conference is expected to be resumed,” said U Hla Maung Shwe, a Secretariat Member of the UPDJC.

During the two-day meeting, the group representing the Government presented four ways to resume the peace process.

On behalf of the group of political parties, U Sai Kyaw Nyunt, Secretary-1 of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy, said the four ways presented by the Union Government are very constructive.

The four ways cover how to implement the NCA and how to review it, how to cooperate in drafting the basic principles for a federal system, how to work in 2020 and post 2020, and how to carry out development, said U Sai Kyaw Nyunt.

The meeting also discussed the possible role of the non-signatories to the NCA in the peace making process, he said.

“We are committed to reaching the goal of peace aspired by the people, though there are challenges, bottlenecks, and obstacles ahead for us on the road to peace,” said U Sai Kyaw Nyunt.

The stakeholders proposed that unofficial meetings of the Secretariat of the UPDJC be resumed in July.

U Sai Ngin, the Secretary-2 of the RCSS, who also participated in the two-day unofficial meeting and represented the group of signatories to the NCA, said the ethnic armed organizations will discuss the proposal made by the Union Government.

“The group of EAOs plans to form a negotiation team and hold unofficial talks with the Union Government to deal with the stalled peace process,” said U Sai Ngin.

Lt-Gen (Retd) Khin Zaw Oo, the leader of the group representing the government, stressed the need to delegate power to the stakeholders and designate the draft lines.

“Leaders of the stakeholders, especially members of the secretariat, should be given delegation power. Draft lines should also be designated. Or, the secretaries will remain at the level of just messengers,” said Lt-Gen (Retd) Khin Zaw Oo.

The meeting was attended by 10 representatives of the government, nine representatives of the EAO group, and 10 representatives of the group of political parties.

The two-day unofficial meeting was aimed at opening the door to all EAOs, including those who had suspended their participation in official meetings.

The KNU failed to attend the two-day meeting. —Ye Khaung Nyunt (Translated by GNLM)