this, the government is planning to splinter unification between ethnic armed forces and then attack them, according to the statement from the United Nationalities Federation Council (UNFC) released yesterday, October 10.
It appears the government is using force against the ethnic armed groups that decided not to sign NCA. Recently, government troops have been launching attacks on these ethnic armed groups. The government is again applying the tactics that it has been using for almost 70 years, solve the problem by using force.
“On one side, in the name of the NCA, it [government] is signing the NCA with some groups while they leave out other groups. By doing so, it [the government] is planning to break apart united ethnic armed forces and attack them. As we suspected, they [government] are now showing what they really have in their hearts as they attack the armed groups that are not going sing NCA yet,” said Nai Hongsar, vice-chairman of UNFC.
The UNFC’s released statement also included that if the government continues to destroy ethnic groups through its racist policies, as such kind has been used from previous governments while appearing to show peace, then the peace process will yet again be far from reach.
The statement continued that president U Thein Sein’s government is planning to hold a ceremony from the NCA inking with eight ethnic armed groups on October 15, in Nay Pyi Taw. At the same time, government troops have stated they will continue to attack Shan State Progressive Party (SSPP) and SSPP’s headquarter Wan Hai.
Listing many reasons, government troops are expanding deployment in Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) areas. The government troops are also launching severe attacks on troops of Kachin Independent Organization (KIO), while there are clashes and attacks in some areas of Karen State.
Of the 15 ethnic armed groups that the government invited to sign the NCA, only eight groups decided to sign it. The eight ethnic armed groups that decided to ink the NCA with the government are Karen National Union (KNU), Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA), KNU/KNLA-PC, Pa-O National Liberation Organization, Chin National Front (CNF), Arakan Liberation Party (ALP), All Burma’s Students Democratic Front (ABSDF), and Restoration Council of Shan State.
“Regarding the announcement of the groups on the list with unlawful association, the government promises that it will take out these groups from the list 2 or 3 days before signing the NCA. Although before the government would only take them away from the list after the NCA inking, now it said it will take them away from the list before inking the NCA. The government said eight ethnic armed groups going to sign NCA at their meeting,“ said U Hla Maung Shwe, senior advisor of Myanmar Peace Center (MPC).
Thus, the ethnic armed groups that are not going to sign the NCA are not taken away from the list of unlawful association.
“We resistance groups have been standing as unlawful associations from the beginning. This unlawful association matter depends on the government. So, [we] need not worry,” said Nai Hongsar.
In the meantime, clashes continue to break out between the government troops and two of the ethnic armed groups that have decided not to sign NCA yet, namely Shan State Progressive Party (SSPP) and Kachin Independent Organization (KIO).
