The National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC) is holding a workshop on peace making process of the country at its office in Nay Pyi Taw.

U Khin Maung Tin, the Deputy Minister for the Office of the State Counsellor and the Secretary of NRPC, delivered an opening remark on the two-day workshop yesterday, which was attended by Secretary of Peace Commission Retired Lt-Gen Khin Zaw Oo, Member of Peace Advisory Committee U Hla Maung Shwe, Permanent Secretaries of the ministries, the Directors-General, the Managing Directors, officials from Shan, Mon, Kayin and Kayah governments and the invited guests.

In his opening remark, Deputy Minister U Khin Maung Tin explained that the workshop is to share knowledge about peace-making process, State policies, NCA implementation, the Union Peace Conference – 21st Century Panglong and basic agreements in the Union Accord which play crucial roles in creating laws, bylaws and directives of relevant ministries and organizations to harmonize with the government’s peace policy, the NCA and the Union Accord.

Senior officials from the Peace Commission and the Joint Monitoring Committee at Union Level (JMC-U) lead discussions at the workshop on the topics of Myanmar’s peace-making process, regional development issues, NCA, the national-level political dialogues, ceasefire and monitoring processes, the Union Peace Conference – 21st Century Panglong and the Union Accord.

The Secretary of NRPC added that the government has pledged to build up a Federal Democratic Union to be able to end the 70-year long armed conflicts which began with the country’s independence and has adopted three-step plans for peace making processes which were also confirmed by the State Counsellor at an event marking the fourth anniversary of the signing of the NCA.

The first step includes three elements; to develop a framework agreement in implementing NCA, to reach more points of agreements in addition to the existing the existing 51 points of federal principles for the Union Accord which is scheduled to be signed in the fourth edition of the Union Peace Conference – 21st Century Panglong, and to develop future plans for peace processes beyond 2020 General Election through step-by-step procedures and prioritized schemes.

The second step is to involve non-signatories of the NCA in political dialogue as the government is making more efforts to negotiate with these ethnic armed organizations.

The third step is to ensure that people could enjoy the fruits of peace as the grass roots are mostly affected by armed conflicts. The relevant Union Ministries and State/Region governments will implement development programmes of infrastructural, transportation, agriculture, education and healthcare sectors.

Secretary of Peace Commission Retired Lt-Gen Khin Zaw Oo then explained the peace-making efforts of present and previous governments.

Member of Peace Advisory committee U Hla Maung Shwe made a presentation on the commission’s works in peace negotiations and national-level political dislogues. The attendees also presented their recommendations on the future peace-making efforts. The workshop will continue on the second day at the same venue today.—MNA

(Translated by Aung Khin)