Tuesday, 02 October 2012 12:52 Mizzima News
The United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), an alliance of 11 ethnic armed movements, has sent an alternative “six-point ethnic peace roadmap” to Burma’s President Thein Sein, outlining the group’s approach to furthering peace among ethnic groups.
The six point ethnic roadmap includes:
- Meeting of armed and civil society organizations to lay down points to be included in the Framework for Political Dialogue
- Meeting between the Union government and the armed movements’ representatives to establish the Framework for Political Dialogue
- A conference of the ethnic people in state and regions
- A national conference of the ethnic nationalities
- A Union conference held in the Panglong Spirit and participated in by an equal number of representatives from the ethnic forces, democratic forces and the government, to discuss and sign a “Union Accord”
- A precise timeframe for the peace process
In a letter to Thein Sein, Lt-Gen N. Ban La, the vice chairman of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and chairman of the UNFC, said: “Though it is possible to negotiate for the resolution of the points from (1) to (4), contained in the peace negotiation program at the Union level, issued by the government under your leadership, our view is that Point (5) Setting up a political party; Point (6) To accept the 2008 Constitution and to carry out amendment in the parliament according to the approval of the majority; Point (7) For eternal peace, the armed organizations are to enter the legal fold, enjoy equality, live and earn a living in accordance with the Constitution; and Point (8) Negotiation for transformation of armed organizations into one and only one armed organization, in accordance with the Constitution are measures to control our armed ethnic resistance organizations and mold them into an entity as desired by the government, before any political settlement is achieved.
“As these deny equality, freedom and justice, it is not possible for us to accept them,” he said. “Accordingly, we would like to urge you to review and modify them so as to prevent the internal peace building process from stalling and breaking up.”
Points 1-4 are:
- To remain forever in the Union
- To accept the Three National Causes i.e. Non-disintegration of the Union, Non-disintegration of national solidarity and Perpetuation of national sovereignty
- To cooperate in economic and development tasks legally
- To cooperate in the elimination of narcotic drugs
The six-point peace roadmap is the offshoot of an Ethnic Nationalities Conference held in Chiang Mai in September with 130 representatives from armed ethnic and civil society organizations.
The two sides are scheduled to meet in December.
The United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), an alliance of 11 ethnic armed movements, has sent an alternative “six-point ethnic peace roadmap” to Burma’s President Thein Sein, outlining the group’s approach to furthering peace among ethnic groups.
The six point ethnic roadmap includes:
- Meeting of armed and civil society organizations to lay down points to be included in the Framework for Political Dialogue
- Meeting between the Union government and the armed movements’ representatives to establish the Framework for Political Dialogue
- A conference of the ethnic people in state and regions
- A national conference of the ethnic nationalities
- A Union conference held in the Panglong Spirit and participated in by an equal number of representatives from the ethnic forces, democratic forces and the government, to discuss and sign a “Union Accord”
- A precise timeframe for the peace process
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| PNLO chairman Khun Okkar, left, and Aung Min, the government peace team leader, opposite. Photo: Mizzima |
In a letter to Thein Sein, Lt-Gen N. Ban La, the vice chairman of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and chairman of the UNFC, said: “Though it is possible to negotiate for the resolution of the points from (1) to (4), contained in the peace negotiation program at the Union level, issued by the government under your leadership, our view is that Point (5) Setting up a political party; Point (6) To accept the 2008 Constitution and to carry out amendment in the parliament according to the approval of the majority; Point (7) For eternal peace, the armed organizations are to enter the legal fold, enjoy equality, live and earn a living in accordance with the Constitution; and Point (8) Negotiation for transformation of armed organizations into one and only one armed organization, in accordance with the Constitution are measures to control our armed ethnic resistance organizations and mold them into an entity as desired by the government, before any political settlement is achieved.
“As these deny equality, freedom and justice, it is not possible for us to accept them,” he said. “Accordingly, we would like to urge you to review and modify them so as to prevent the internal peace building process from stalling and breaking up.”
Points 1-4 are:
- To remain forever in the Union
- To accept the Three National Causes i.e. Non-disintegration of the Union, Non-disintegration of national solidarity and Perpetuation of national sovereignty
- To cooperate in economic and development tasks legally
- To cooperate in the elimination of narcotic drugs
The six-point peace roadmap is the offshoot of an Ethnic Nationalities Conference held in Chiang Mai in September with 130 representatives from armed ethnic and civil society organizations.
The two sides are scheduled to meet in December.
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