As the UPWC and NCCT signed the draft NCA on March 31st, leaders from both sides stated that lasting peace may only be achieved if ethnic armed groups accept a 6-point policy set forth by the UPWC. However, the NCCT has responded that it is currently unable to accept those six points.
“Those [points] are what we stand [for],” said the Ministry of Defense’s Lt-Gen. Myint Soe, “Some of those points which we stand for were included in NCA discussions, but they have not been discussed in detail. We announced that if the six points put forth by the Tatmadaw (Burmese Army) are accepted [by the ethnic armed groups], then permanent peace will be achieved”.
However, according to Nai Hongsar, leader of the NCCT, if the ethnic armed groups accept those points it will not be necessary to hold continued talks, as the ethnic armed groups will effectively be laying down arms according to politics.
“These 6-points are not included in the NCA draft, so we did not have anything special to talk about. From the ethnic groups’ side, they have never accepted those points,” said Nai Hongsar.
The six points proposed by the Tatmadaw’s UPWC to be included in Burma’s peace policy are for ethnic armed groups to have a genuine wish for peace, to keep promises they agree to during the peace process, to refrain from reaping benefits from peace agreements, not to become a burden on the people, to follow the country’s existing rules of law, and to respect and march towards a democratic country in accordance with the 2008 Constitution.
Nai Hongsar stated that solutions will be found for the still unresolved six-point peace policy during political talks.
The United Nations (UN) and the United States have welcomed the NCCT and UPWC’s March 31st signing of the preliminary NCA draft.
