Statement of MNTJP/MNDAA, PSLF/TNLA and ULA/AA on Myanmar Tatmadaw Leaders’ Principle of Renouncing Arms for Peace

Statement by MNTJP/MNDAA, PSLF/TNLA and ULA/AA | May 21, 2016

We, the Myanmar National Truth and Justice Party/Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNTJP/MNDAA), the Palaung State Liberation Front/Ta’ang National Liberation Army (PSLF/TNLA) and the United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA), strongly protest the Myanmar Tatmadaw’s (Burma Army) position of refusing to hold peace talk with us and demanding our three organizations to lay down arms, stated by the Myanmar military leaders Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing and Lt-Gen. Mya Tun Oo, at the press conference held on May 13, 2016, in the Bayint Naung Hall of Naypyidaw, as it is Myanmar Tatmadaw’s policy that would continue to prolong Burma’s fire of civil war.

Moreover, we view statement by the European Union ambassador to Burma, Roland Kobia, telling us to renounce arms and come to the negotiation table as a biased one, made in favor of Myanmar Tatmadaw and in disregard of the oppressed and unequal status of Burma’s ethnic nationalities. At a time when there is no firm political guarantee, the talk for the ethnic armed organizations to lay down arms is an act in violation of Article 2 (4) of the UN Charter, prohibiting interference in another country’s affairs, and in contravention of the European Union’s Basic Principles.

Our three organizations, together with other Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs), have participated, from the beginning to end, in the whole process of endeavor for resolving problems through genuine political dialogue, after establishing nationwide ceasefire, as members of the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) and the Senior Delegation (SD). However, it is our conclusion that Myanmar Tatmadaw’s pressuring of our organizations militarily by launching offensives continually and, at the time when the approved NCA (Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement) to be signed, the deliberate exclusion of our three organizations, without any valid justification in order to undermine the NCA, were decidedly not honest acts of Myanmar Tatmadaw.

By reducing military engagements, we have made preparation for the best cooperation for holding genuine political dialogue, after smooth consultation and implementation of matters concerning national reconciliation and peace, during the term of the new Myanmar government, coming into being in accordance with the 2005 elections’ result. Though Myanmar Tatmadaw has come to launch massive military offensives in our nationalities’ regions, with undertakings causing more political confusion, we have been striving to avoid contact as much as possible to reduce battles, apart from acts in self-defense.

The Myanmar National Truth and Justice Party, the MNTJP/MNDAA, was the first organization to reach ceasefire agreement with the military government in 1989, and it had involved itself in the persistent effort in the role of bringing stability and peace in the country by drawing in 17 other organizations, through its leadership. Moreover, it was able to declare Kokang Special Region (1) to be opium free to the world in 2002, and it undertook for the emergence of other special regions. However, in the matter of transforming to Border Guard Force, there was disagreement between the two sides and as the Tatmadaw used force and terror attacks, by military means, battles are taking place up to this day, in Kokang Region.

After its mother organization, the Palaung State Liberation Army (PSLA), made ceasefire agreement and until it was disarmed by force in 2005, the Palaung State Liberation Front/Ta’ang National Liberation Army (PSLF/TNLA) had to be active mainly in the Thai-Karen State border areas. Subsequent to the absence of armed organization to protect the Ta’ang people, there were military domination by Myanmar Tatmadaw, armed oppression by other armed ethnic organizations and the serious growth of narcotic drug problem, and in accordance with the demand of Ta’ang people, the Ta’ang National Liberation Army PSLF/TNLA started to set up base in Ta’ang Region in 2009 and violent clashes have been taking place with Myanmar Tatmadaw.

The United League of Arakan (ULA) and its military wing, the Arakan Army (AA), have been fighting for the lost rights of the Arakanese people, their birthrights and the right of the Arakanese people to decide their own destiny, with the support of the Arakanese people living in countries all over the world, and for the common goal, in the lands of the alliance forces, including in the land of Arakan, together with the armed ethnic resistance organizations with the same military and political objectives. At the same time, as Myanmar Tatmadaw has come to launch offensives in accordance with its plan of total annihilation against our Arakan Army, battles continue to take place in the land of Arakan.

Our Kokang Army (MNTJP/MNDAA), Ta’ang Army (PSLF/TNLA) and Arakan Army (ULA/AA) are politically and militarily allied organizations and have made overtures for ceasefire and unilateral reduction of clashes. However, Myanmar Tatmadaw has been trying repeatedly to totally annihilate us by launching relentless offensives against us, in addition to blocking us from participation in the peace process, under various pretexts.

Exclusion of some ethnic armed organizations with discriminatory classification and demand for renouncing arms without achieving solution to political problems, cannot in any way realize the cessation of civil war and peace. For that reason, we the alliance absolutely protest Myanmar Tatmadaw’s principle of renunciation of arms for peace, and earnestly urge Myanmar government led by the National League for Democracy, which has been undertaking for the realization of National Reconciliation and Peace, to stop ongoing wars in the lands of the ethnic nationalities and resolve political problems by political means, through genuine political negotiations and dialogue.

MNTJP/MNDAA
Myanmar National Truth & Justice Party/
Myanmar National Alliance Army

PSLF/TNLA
Palaung State Liberation Front/
Ta’ang National Liberation Army

ULA/AA
United League of Arakan/
Arakan Army