By NYAN HLAING LYNN | FRONTIER
NAY PYI TAW — The government is continuing discussions with the United Wa State Army, the country’s most powerful non-state armed group, and hopes its leaders will participate in the next peace conference, the deputy chair of the Peace Commission told media Friday.
U Thein Zaw was speaking on the sidelines of a civil society forum in Nay Pyi Taw, organised to facilitate support for the next 21st Century Panglong conference slated next month, as a meeting of ethnic armed groups was concluding at the UWSA’s Panghsang headquarters.
During a speech opening that meeting, UWSA leader Bao Youxiang said there was no end in sight to Myanmar’s myriad ethnic conflicts, and said the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement signed by eight armed groups and the U Thein Sein government in 2015 was failing to bring peace to the country.
Thein Zaw refused to comment on Bao’s remarks Friday.
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The UWSA sent a junior delegation to the first 21st Century Panglong conference in August. Its members walked out on the second day following a dispute with conference organisers.
