NLD Leaders Rally Ethnic Groups to Unite for Peace

The NLD stalwarts gathered at party headquarters in Yangon to commemorate the 71st Union Day, which celebrates the signing of the 1947 Panglong Agreement, which paved the way for independence from British colonial rule a few months later.

Among those who attended the event was NLD patron U Tin Oo.

“The very first requirement for our democracy and development is peace,” according to U Nyan Win, a member of the NLD Secretariat. “For that peace, we need to discuss what matters between the NLD and ethnic groups for principles. We will all go forward together in unity.”

U Nyan Win urged the people to support and strive for the success of 21st Century Panglong Conference which is led by the NLD and aims to resolve decades of internal conflict by establishing a federal democratic union system of government.

“After accepting our differences and if we make those differences a strength, we hope we can build a stronger, wider union; one that can allow more space to the people,” State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said in a statement.

In his speech, U Nyan Win cited the remarks by Bogyoke Aung San at the signing of the 1947 Panglong Agreement. To unite Myanmar and to harmonise nationalist ideology and the union spirit, practical efforts must be made to build the union without any outside influence.

U Nyan Win also cited the decision by the Mon New State Party and Lahu Democratic Party to sign the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement on Tuesday.

“After forming the new government, our relationship with allies became better. In Mon State, there are three or four parties. We are working with all of them,” U Nyan Win said.

However, leaders of ethnic democratic forces have criticised the NLD because it has yet to meet with Mon, Shan and Chin political leaders who fought for democracy together with the NLD for more than 20 years.

“I want to ask whether the NLD, either as a party or as the government,  has met with leaders of ethnic political parties who worked with it for many years,” said U Sai Kyaw Nyunt, spokesman of the Shan National League for Democracy. “I am wondering why they said they are working in close cooperation with ethnic democratic forces.”

He said Union Day happened because of the agreement among different ethnic peoples, who vowed to live together and build a genuine union.