Myanmar peace talks to push ahead

China’s mediation role is crucial to solution: expert

The second round of the peace conference between the Myanmar government and rebel forces will finally be held on Wednesday, with experts saying China could help mediate Myanmar’s domestic conflict.

The second meeting of the 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference, which was scheduled for late February, had been delayed several times.

On Monday, Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi met with Special Envoy for Asian Affairs Sun Guoxiang in Nay Pyi Taw to discuss Myanmar’s peace process and national reconciliation, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

“China’s role is crucial and based on non- interference, and both the Myanmar government and ethnic armed organizations welcome it,” Su Hao, director of the Asia- Pacific Research Center at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times.

“Differences between the government and rebel groups are difficult to resolve in the short- term, but China will build a platform for negotiations. The decision will eventually be made by the people of Myanmar,” Su added.

A report in the online journal The Irrawaddy said, “following a Burma [ Myanmar] Army green light, seven ethnic armed organizations from northeast Myanmar … flew to Nay Pyi Taw from Kunming, the capital of Southwest China’s Yunnan Province, on Tuesday afternoon for the peace conference, according to sources close to the government and the ethnic armed groups.”

Bao Youxiang, Chairman of Federal

Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee ( FPNCC), an organization representing the seven Myanmar rebel groups in negotiations with the Union of Myanmar government, expressed his willingness to participate in China’s Belt and Road initiative on the Wa State information bureau’s Sina blog.

“Due to the great efforts and urging of the government of the People’s Republic of China, our FPNCC wishes to attend the second 21st Century Panglong Union Peace Conference if we receive an invitation letter,” Bao said.

“The peace conference will focus on five key topics: politics, security, society, economy and management of natural resources, and the conference will vote on a resolution. The challenge would be coordinating the interests of the participants over those five topics,” Liu Yun, an analyst on Myanmar issues, said.

China’s influence

Chinese President Xi Jinping said on May 16 that China is willing to continue to provide Myanmar with the necessary assistance in its peace progress. Xi made the remarks in his meeting with Suu Kyi, who attended the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing from May 14- 15, according to Xinhua.

The first meeting of the Panglong Conference ended on September 3, 2016, with participants agreeing to find solutions through coordination and discussions toward the goal of achieving peace under the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement ( NCA) guidelines and the establishment of a democratic federal union.

The four- day conference called for the prompt implementation of peace and coordination of diverse interests and views expressed at the conference. But challenges remain as to how to bring in non- signatories to the NCA.

The first Panglong Conference failed to stop the Myanmar conflict. More than 20,000 Myanmese fled to China after clashes broke out in northern Myanmar in March this year, Geng Shuang, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said.

“Myanmar’s domestic conflict is not a purely domestic affair since it also threatens China’s border security, and this is also why China is assisting in the peace process,” Su told the Global Times.

“Historically, China had deep relations with many ethnic armed organizations. We fully respect Myanmar’s sovereignty, and the peace process will be decided by Myanmar’s people, but this kind of influence will not disappear. China will use it to help Myanmar realize lasting peace,” Su added.

Geng noted that China has rescued and accommodated Myanmar refugees for humanitarian reasons, and has taken effective measures to maintain order along the ChinaMyanmar border.

On February 12, 1947, all Myanmar ethnic groups, led by General Aung San, held the historic Panglong Conference in northern Shan State and signed the Panglong Agreement, declaring Myanmar’s independence. Myanmar’s Union Day was declared the day the Panglong Agreement was signed.