NCA non-signatory groups permitted to speak at Peace Conference
Non-signatories of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement
(NCA), who have been designated as ‘special invitees,’ will be permitted to
speak their piece at the first Union Peace Conference (UPC) which starts today,
according to sources from Naypyidaw.
“They can present their case with regards to each
thematic issues chosen by the UPC organizers,” said a Shan representative.
So far, only representatives from the National
Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) are attending as special invitees. Others
have boycotted it.
“The decision to allow the non-signatories to speak
should have been made known earlier,” criticized a senior Shan politician. “Now
it is too late to change their minds,” he said of the non-signatory groups.
The issues selected by the Union Peace Dialogue Joint
Committee (UPDJC), a 48-member setup made up of 16 members from three key stakeholders
blocs—government-parliament-military, ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) and
political parties—are:
·
Politics Basic
principles for a federal democracy
·
Social
Resettlement
and reconstruction for IDPs
·
Economy Tax and revenue
sharing
·
Security Basic principles for Union security and defense
·
Land
and natural resources Management and
distribution
The five-day gathering will end on 16 January after
reading out reports and conclusions (“not decisions,” according to another Shan
participant) from each thematic group.
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 Nyaung Hnabin (Two Banyan
Trees) Convention, held to draw up the basic principles for what became the
2008 constitution.
“We don’t want more Nyaung Hnabins,” said Sai Nyunt
Lwin, General Secretary of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD).
His party will be represented by 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.
By SAI KHUENSAI / Shan Herald Agency for News
(S.H.A.N)
Tags: News, Politics
