Shans prepare for next ‘21st Century Panglong Conference’
Several Shan
groups including political parties, civil society organizations and academics,
will hold a meeting in late January in order to prepare for the 2nd
round of national dialogue which is slated to be held in February.
The first round of the 21st-Century Panglong
Peace Conference, known as the 21CPC, was led by Burma’s State Counselor Aung
San Suu Kyi, and was held on August 31
last year in the capital Naypyidaw.
Sai Lek,
the spokesperson for the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), said this
conference concerns every Shan nationality, and therefore their voices are needed.
“What
the ethnic armed organizations (EAO) and political parties can do is raise the
issues linked to ethnicity,” he said. “The issues we will be discussing include
politics, economics, social welfare, and land and national resources. We have
already discussed security issues.”
The
meeting is scheduled to take place in Shan State capital Taunggyi from 23 to 27
January.
SNLD
spokesperson Sai Lek, who also currently serves as general secretary for the
Committee for Shan State Unity (CSSU), a group comprising Shan political
parties, Shan armed groups and Shan civil society groups, said that in order to
hold the conference in late January they will need to form at least 13 working
groups in order to engage public consultations.
“There
will be 13 groups. Each group will consist of 15 members which include a team
leader and a financial manager,” he said, adding that each group will be
expected to take a field trip to gauge public opinions. These public consultations
will be held both inside and outside Shan State.”
He elaborated
in detailing these areas of public consultation: two townships in eastern Shan
State; three townships in northern Shan State; and four townships in southern
Shan State. Outside the region, talks will take place, he said, in Mandalay,
Moe Nyin in Kachin State, Homalin in Sagiang Division, Loi Kaw in Karenni State,
and Chiang Mai, Thailand.
On 11-12
December last year, Shan leaders held a meeting in Taunggyi to begin drawing up
plans for the 21CPC.
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