EAOs’ Plenary Meeting Begins With Call For Unity

Kachinland News (KLN) | July 27, 2016

Ethnic Armed Organizations’ plenary meeting attended by 18 ethnic armed organizations and major ethnic nationalities’ political parties began Tuesday in Mai Ja Yang, a city located in KIO’s administrative area in southern Kachin State.

The meeting is scheduled to be held from July 26 to July 29. Also in attendance were representatives from alliances of ethnic nationalities political parties; United Nationalities Alliance (UNA) and National Brotherhood Federation (NBF), Women League of Burma (WLB), UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser Vijay Nambiar and Sun Guoxiang, Special Envoy of Asian Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China.

In an opening speech, KIO’s vice chairman Lt Gen Nban La said the county is still in political turmoil because it’s unable to implement 1947 Panglong agreement, an agreement with which the current Union of Burma was formed. He said Burma was formed on the fundamental principles of equality among ethnic nationalities and the right for self-determination. But successive governments ignored those fundamental principles and enforced a unitary form of government and military dictatorship, said Lt Gen Nban La. He emphasized that the aim of the EAOs’ meeting is to strengthen unity among ethnic nationalities.

Naw Zipporah Sein, KNU’s vice chairwoman, said government failed to honor Laiza and Law Khee Lar’s principles of ethnic unity and equality by treating each armed group differently. She said continuing armed conflicts make it difficult to continue the journey. “It is important to agree a common ground for all ethnic nationalities in preparation for 21 Century Panglong Conference regardless of signatory status to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement,” said Zipporah Sein.  She said the meeting attendees could review and continue to work on Federal Constitution Drafting and Coordinating Committee’s 2008 Constitution draft and UNFC’s 2015 amendments.

Vijay Nambiar, UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser, reiterated UN’s support for national reconciliation in Burma and said UN will continue working with both Burmese government and ethnic armed organizations.

Sun Guoxiang, Special Envoy of Asian Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, said China will continue its support for peace process.

The meeting started Tuesday with the review and discussion on the Panglong Handbook, a compilation of historical facts, principles and guidelines for the Panglong agreement.

Three other topics to be discussed during the four-day meeting are fundamental principles for federal constitution, security sector reform and framework for political dialogue.