23 NOVEMBER 2019
A GOVERNMENT delegation and a delegation of the Karen National Union (KNU) held a meeting to coordinate on steps going forward with the peace process, in Chiang Mai, Thailand, yesterday.
The meeting focused on proposals made by the KNU for moving forward with the peace process, organizing the fourth session of the Union Peace Conference — 21st Century Panglong in 2020, holding the Joint Ceasefire Implementation Committee Meeting (JCIM), and other matters.
U Hla Maung Shwe, an advisor to the Myanmar Peace Commission (PC), said the KNU were just as keen as them to hold the JICM and the 2020 conference as well. He said the KNU also hopes the conference will produce steps to move forward.
The Peace Process Steering Team (PPST) will hold their meetings on December 2, 3 and 4 and the government and KNU delegations aim to meet again after them.
The government delegation consisted of PC Secretary LtGen (Retd) Khin Zaw Oo, PC advisory board members U Hla Maung Shwe and U Moe Zaw Oo, Director-General U Zaw Htay of the Ministry of Office of the State Counsellor, and U Kyaw Lin Oo as technical support.
The KNU delegation consisted of the KNU Chairman’s military and political advisor Saw Tu Tu Lay, KNU General-Secretary Padoh Saw Tadoh Moo, KNU permanent executive committee members Padoh Saw Sel Gay and Padoh Saw Taw Nee, KNU Chairman Secretary Padoh Saw Tar Mu Lar, and Policy Advisor Naw May Oo.
After the meetings, Director-General U Zaw Htay and KNU General-Secretary Padoh Saw Tadoh Moo gave an interview to RFA journalist U Aung Moe Myint.
U Zaw Htay said they discussed the meeting between KNU leaders and the government delegation led by the State Counsellor at the 4th anniversary event of the NCA on 28 October, which agreed on holding separate meetings during the interim period and has led to this meeting in Chiang Mai. He said they will hold the PPST meeting, after which both sides agreed to quickly meet up.
The KNU General-Secretary said the meeting also held an informal consideration of what preparations should be put in place to ensure the peace process continues regardless of which government administration becomes incumbent after the elections next year. He said as working groups from both sides need more contact and meetings, he hopes doing so will facilitate easier communication in future meetings
When asked of proposals from the government’s side, Padoh Saw Tadoh Moo responded that the four proposals are very connected. He said ceasefire and political dialogues are the two main parts of the NCA, and there has been a great improvement on the political front, as well as more familiarity. He said they will continue to discuss the ceasefire side of the agreement.
When asked of his analysis on the government delegation’s journey, U Zaw Htay replied that there was a fundamental point highlighted by the State Counsellor during the 4th anniversary event of the NCA, which includes three factors to the peace process moving forward. The first is to sign the Union Accord in three phases.
U Zaw Htay said the journey of the Chairman of the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) last October prompted them to come to Chiang Mai and meet with the RCSS delegation. He said Lt-Gen Yar Pyae and Lt-Gen Min Naung were present there as well, since they are both NRPC members and leaders of the Tatmadaw Negotiation Team. He said they engaged in serious discussions and produced remarks on how to avoid these types of compli cations regarding EAO leaders travelling in the future. He said the RCSS were okay to be onboard with the process and they have overcome an obstacle.
U Zaw Htay said they made numerous agreements in discussing what type of meetings to pursue with the ten EAO signatories to the NCA. He said they discussed in detail the implementation process of the agreements made between the State Counsellor and the KNU leaders. He said they achieved very close results and will hold detailed discussions on that in the future. He said they will meet again as soon as possible in December. He said there are monitoring groups on the peace process and worries concerning it, but both sides are giving it their best efforts.
U Zaw Htay also said they will not step back from the path based on the NCA. He said there are concerns of the delayed process but both sides are reviewing and coordinating to ensure the path taken by both sides are made better and stronger. He said they are endeavoring to ensure the post-2020 peace process will carry on regardless of which government administration takes office at that time.
Padoh Saw Tadoh Moo spoke of the next proposed meeting with the government delegation as needing to go into detailed discussion to make the proposals by the KNU much clearer. He said it involves thinking carefully for both sides. He said that as there isn’t much time, they are discussing the nature of the upcoming meeting. —Ye Kaung Nyunt (Translated by Zaw Htet Oo)
