Myanmar to revive peace deal
Suu Kyi attempts to end conflict in troubled regions with latest talks
Hundreds of representatives from Myanmar’s ethnic insurgent groups gathered in the capital for talks aimed at reviving Aung San Suu Kyi’s stuttering peace process after months of heavy fighting.
The discussions are the de facto leader’s second attempt to end conflict in the country’s troubled frontier regions, where various ethnic groups have been waging war against the state for almost seven decades.
A sea of colour filled the vast conference hall in Naypyidaw yesterday morning as ethnic delegates in traditional costumes mingled with stony-faced military officers decked out in full regalia.
Addressing the assembled crowd, Nobel laureate Suu Kyi sought to dismiss criticism that little progress has been made on her flagship policy more than a year after her party took power.
“Our collective efforts have started to bear fruit,” she said.
“We have now reached the stage where we are able to discuss the basic federal principles that are so important for our country.”
Hopes had been high that Myanmar’s first freely elected gov- ernment in generations would end the running conflicts that have claimed thousands of lives and kept the country mired in poverty.
But many ethnic groups say Suu Kyi has not listened to their con- cerns and is working too closely with the military, which ran the country with an iron fist for almost half a century.
None are expected to sign up to the National Ceasefire Agreement she is pushing during the conference – a controversial deal first touted by the previous military-backed government.
The agenda will cover what shape a federal union might take, and is expected to include the first discussions on whether states will be able to draft their own constitutions.
“In a way, it is a historic milestone in the post-colonial history of Myanmar and represents a new level of federalism,” said Angshuman Choudhury from the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies.
“It is a strategic move by the union government to appease powerful ethnic constituencies and... prevent outright secessionism.” — AFP