“In our UNFC, there are 9 [non-signatory] ethnic armed groups. But these groups won’t attend. This is because there won’t be anything special accomplished by the groups joining the conference; we will only be present there as special guests. We won’t get the chance to take part in the discussion and decision-making. So, we decided not to attend,” said U Htun Zaw, General Secretary (1) of United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), an alliance of ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) founded in 2011.
The government invited 15 of the country’s more than 20 EAOs to sign the ceasefire agreement on October 15, 2015, but only eight signed. Signatories include the Karen National Union (KNU), Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA), KNU/KNLA-Peace Center, Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), Pa-Oh National Liberation Organization (PNLO), Arakan Liberation Party (ALP), Chin National Front (CNF), and the All Burma Students’ Democratic Front (ABSDF).
Other ethnic armed groups yet to sign an agreement with the government include UNFC members the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), New Mon State Party (NMSP), Shan State Army-North (SSPP), Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), and non-UNFC members the National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA), United Wa State Army (UWSA), and National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K), among others.
The government invited non-ceasefire signatory groups to the Union Peace Conference (UPC), including the KIO, SSPP, NMSP, KNPP, UWSA, NDAA, and NSCN-K, but to serve as observers to audit the event. Also invited as special guests were the Arakan National Council (ANC), Lahu Democratic Union (LDU), Wa National Organization (WNO), and Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA). Not invited were the Arakan Army (AA) and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA).
“We are [in keeping with the] UNFC’s decision. If all groups attend [the UPC], we will, too. But if not, we won’t attend either. We also do not think there will be anything special at the conference. Another thing is that we do not get to participate in the discussions and decision-making,” SSPP Spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Sai La, in an interview with MNA.
Of the 11 ethnic armed groups invited to the conference by the government, the KIO, SSPP, NMSP, KNPP, ANC, LDU, and TNLA are UNFC members and, by consensus, will reportedly not attend the UPC. The UWSA, NDAA, and NSCN-K have also decided not to join.
The UNFC concluded an analysis of the ceasefire agreement process on January 5 with the statement, “The result of today is an NCA signed between 8 EAOs and the government on October 15, 2015. It is also not in accordance with Article (2-D) of the NCA, requiring signatures by all, in concert, and the essence of NCA has become spoiled. So long as all-inclusivity is not realized, the Framework for Political Dialogue and the so-called Union Peace Conference emanating from it will still be lacking any meaning. Launching military offensives on the one hand and holding peace talks on the other is not the way to bring genuine, just, and honorable peace. Under these circumstances, just as democracy cannot flourish, a genuine federal union cannot be established.”
The government announced that it will hold the Union Peace Conference on January 12 in an official statement released in December 2015.
