UNFC’s central executive committee released a statement on Thursday, January 29th, in which the council offered to sign an agreement with the government, on the 68th Union Day, for the formation of a federal union.
“If we want [a] federal union, [a] federal union formation agreement must be signed as [a] preliminary. But now, the government keeps busy [talking about]only with signing [a] nationwide ceasefire agreement. Before moving to those steps, we have some remaining points to discuss, so it is just impossible to sign [a] ceasefire agreement on February 12th,” said UNFC’s general secretary Khu Oo Reh.
Khu Oo Reh continued that, due to the fact that the government wanted to implement a ceasefire on February 12th and the President already agreed to the foundation of a federal union, the UNFC offered to sign an agreement for the foundation of a federal union, which includes political guarantees.
In early December 2014, President Thein Sein presented a radio speech, stating, “The political agreement for establishing [a] federal union has been firmly received.”
Khu Oo Reh stated that, “We [the UNFC] offer this [agreement] to show that our side also wants and desires for the establishment of a federal union. As the president stated in his speech, that federal union needs to be firmly established.”
Khu Oo Reh also said that if the government does not accept or sign the UNFC’s proposed agreement on February 12th, the UNFC would not be able to sign a nationwide ceasefire.
In signing an agreement for a federal union, both the government and ethnic armed groups will have to trust each other; only then may both sides work towards a nationwide ceasefire agreement, and accomplish it.
Myanmar Peace Center representatives and NCCT representatives continue to hold negotiations as to when the 7th round of nationwide ceasefire talks will take place.
