NCCT leader Nai Hongsar stresses the necessity for nationwide ceasefire talks to resume, after having been postponed multiple times for various reasons.
“The talk must be held, but we cannot tell [the] exact date to have the talk yet. After getting [a] response from their [the government] side about the Lazai issue [wherein government troops attacked the Kachin Independent Army (KIA) military academy training] that we submitted to them, we will discuss with our members and then name a date for the talk,” said Nai Hongsar.
Nai Hongsar continued that now is the time to rebuild trust between the government and ethnic armed groups, stating that the NCCT has requested the government side to help restore trust.
“The Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) requests [that the government] withdraw its troops and weapons, and not to conduct such an attack again,” said Nai Hongsar.
According to U Hla Maung Shwe, senior advisor to the Myanmar Peace Center (MPC), the MPC will meet with the NCCT on December 15th in Chiang Mai, Thailand, to discuss resuming ceasefire talks.
“When we [the MPC] meet with [the] NCCT this time, I think that we will know the dates that they can present, and the number of their representatives. If the talk does not take place before Christmas Day, then it will take place in early January 2015,” said U Hla Maung Shwe.
According to U Hla Maung Shwe, UPWC’s Minister U Aung Min offered to meet with the NCCT on December 18, and has already responded to the NCCT’s inquiries regarding the Lazai attack. U Hla Maung Shwe noted that Minister U Aung Min’s response seemed to be very positive.
“I think the talk will take place, but the official date for the talk will be announced on December 15th,” said U Hla Maung Shwe.
Following the UPWC and NCCT’s sixth-round talks, both sides agreed to hold another round of talks in October. However, talks have been postponed due to the government troops’ offensive attacks in ethnic areas, including the government troop’s November 19th attack on the KIA’s military academy training, which resulted in the death of more than 20 solider cadets.
