NSCN (K) is reportedly attending the five-day Union Peace Conference (UPC), which got underway on January 12 in Myanmar’s capital city of Nay Pyi Taw, amidst earlier reports that ethnic armed groups including NSCN (K), which did not sign nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA), would not participate. The five-day gathering would end on January 16 after the presentation of reports and conclusions (“not decisions,” according to another Shan participant) from each thematic group.
The newly elected Myanmar government of National League for Democracy(NLD) invited non-ceasefire signatory groups to first UPC including NSCN (K), KIO, SSPP, NMSP, KNPP, UWSA and NDAA, but to serve as observers to audit the event. Ethnic armed groups yet to sign an agreement with the government include UNFC members, the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), New Mon State Party (NMSP), Shan State Army-North (SSPP), Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), and non-UNFC members the National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA), United Wa State Army (UWSA), and National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K), among others. NCA non-signatories, who have been designated as ‘special invitees,’ will be permitted to address the first Union Peace Conference (UPC) which started on January 12 last, the BNI quoted sources from Naypyidaw as saying.
The Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC), a 48-member group made up of 16 members from three key stakeholders blocs: the government, parliament and the military; ethnic armed organizations (EAOs); and political parties selected the following issues to discuss: Politics (Basic principles for a federal democracy, social resettlement and reconstruction for internally displaced people (IDPs), Economy (tax and revenue sharing), security (basic principles for union security and defence and land and natural resources (management and distribution)
Concerns have been raised by critics, many of whom had experienced decisions pre-determined by the then ruling military junta at the 14-year-long National Convention (NC), better known as the Nyaung Hnabin (Two Banyan Trees) Convention, held to draw up the basic principles for what became the 2008 constitution.
Sai Nyunt Lwin, General Secretary of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) said: “We don’t want more Nyaung Hnabins.” His party will be represented by some of its younger members at the UPC, he added. The first UPC is expected to be followed by state/regional level political dialogues where proposals for each five key topics will be further developed.
A total of 1,136 participants and observers including representatives from foreign embassies, UN agencies, INGOs, government recognized organizations and CSOs have been invited.