Myanmar: Gov’t, ethnic armed groups agree draft ceasefire accord

Myanmar’s government and ethnic armed groups on September 26 reached a consensus on the fourth draft accord on a nationwide ceasefire after five days of talks at the Myanmar Peace Center in Yangon.
Myanmar’s government and ethnic armed groups on September 26 reached aconsensus on the fourth draft accord on a nationwide ceasefire afterfive days of talks at the Myanmar Peace Center in Yangon.

Anannouncement released at a joint press conference said at the end oftheir sixth talks and after discussing some remaining points out of 104of the draft accord, the Union Peace-making Work Committee (UPWC) of thegovernment and the National Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) ofethnic armed groups adopted the document.

Myanmar’s parliamentarians and the army’s representatives attended the talks.

A new round of talks is due to be held in October in a bid to ink thehistoric long-awaited nationwide ceasefire as soon as possible.

The UPWC and leaders of the ethnic armed groups launched their firstnegotiation on a nationwide ceasefire in November 2013 in Myitgyina,Kachin state's capital, followed by a series of meetings in an effort tosketch out a draft nationwide ceasefire agreement.

Sincetaking office in March 2011, President U Thein Sein's government hasstrongly pushed ahead the process of national reconciliation though thesigning of ceasefire deals with 14 of the 16 ethnic armed groups.

Now the country is moving forward to a nationwide ceasefire and later political dialogues for long-lasting peace.-VNA

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