Suu Kyi to take part in upcoming peace talks

NAY PYI TAW — Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will “take part” in holding a political dialogue with Myanmar’s ethnic armed groups next month, a senior member of the National League for Democracy said Wednesday.

“I cannot say whether Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will attend the meetings or not but I can say that the NLD chair Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will take part in the political dialogue,” said U Nyan Win, a patron of the party.  

On October 15 the government signed a National Ceasefire Agreement with eight of Myanmar’s myriad ethnic armed groups, a culmination of more than two years of efforts to resolve the country’s decades-old insurgencies.

Although touted as a political breakthrough for the current government, led by the pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party, the ceasefire did not include some of the main ethnic armed groups such as the Wa National Army, Shan State People’s Party, Ta’ang National Liberation Army and Kachin Independence Organization.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi formerly criticized the ceasefire agreement for failing to be inclusive, and refused to participate in the process.

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But in the aftermath of the NLD’s triumph in the November 8 polls, the party is under pressure to take a lead in the ongoing peace process, such as it is.

On Wednesday the government and the eight signatories to the ceasefire agreement handed over a framework agreement for a political dialogue to President U Thein Sein.

Holding a political dialogue is the next step in the peace process.

“Before January 13 we will start the political dialogue with the eight signatories,” said U Hla Maung Shwe, a senior member of the Myanmar Peace Center, the government’s key agency in the peace process.

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