Wa walk out 21st Century Panglong Conference
Representatives of
the United Wa State Army (UWSA) have left the Union Peace Conference, citing “inequality”
at the forum, which kicked off yesterday.
However, organizers of the event, which has been
dubbed the “21st
Century Panglong Conference,” say the dispute came from a complete
misunderstanding about meeting protocol.
The UWSA, Burma’s
biggest armed ethnic organization, did not sign the nationwide ceasefire agreement with
the Thein Sein administration in October last year, but were invited to attend the conference
in Naypyidaw as “observers”.
According to Dr. Lian Sakhong of the Chin National Front, the Wa representatives
arrived late and did not stay at the guest rooms prepared by the organizers,
but rather arranged accommodation by themselves.
He said that because they were so late,
they were given “observer cards,” but they clearly misunderstood the issue, and took umbrage.
Then they simply walked out.
He said that the conference
organizers will apologize to the Wa delegates and try to resolve the matter.
Government peace negotiator Khin
Zaw Oo told reporters that the Wa representatives misunderstood and thought
they were being downgraded.
“The thing is, we had already
distributed all the entry cards to the other delegates from ethnic armed
organizations,” he explained.
The 21st Century
Panglong Conference is being hosted by Burma’s de facto leader Aung San Suu
Kyi, who has gathered more than 700 representatives from the government, the military,
political parties, ethnic armed organizations and civil society groups for negotiations
aimed at establishing a framework for future peace talks.
The conference is scheduled to
continue until Sunday.
By Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN)
Tags: News, Politics
