Myanmar govt invites Wa, Mongla groups to peace dialogue

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Myanmar govt invites Wa, Mongla groups to peace dialogue

YANGON:-- The Irrawaddy reported that the Myanmar government has invited leaders of the Wa and Mongla special regions to attend the Union Peace Conference scheduled to convene on Jan 12.

The invitation also applies to the United Wa State Army (UWSA), Myanmar’s largest ethnic armed group, and the National Democratic Alliance Army.

Thein Zaw, vice chairman of the government’s Union Peacemaking Working Committee (UPWC), urged leaders of the Wa to take part in the peace process as government negotiators met with them in Pangsang, the Shan State headquarters of the UWSA, on Saturday.

The UWSA is a non-signatory to the so-called nationwide ceasefire agreement, which was signed by the government and eight non-state armed groups on Oct 15.

Though state media reports indicated that it was the leadership of the Wa and Mongla special regions that were invited, the overture applies also to the two regions’ ruling ethnic armed groups, which share the same leadership.

Government peace negotiators also met leaders of the Mongla Special Region, led by its chairman Sai Lin, on Sunday, inviting the latter to attend the Union Peace Conference as a special guest, state media reported on Wednesday.

Thein Zaw told the Mongla leaders on the occasion that the government would not leave behind any group in the peace process, a statement that would appear at odds with the continued exclusion of some ethnic armed groups from the January dialogue.

The National Democratic Alliance Army is also a non-signatory to the nationwide peace accord.

UWSA spokesperson Zhao Xiaofu told The Irrawaddy that leaders of the Wa group had not yet decided whether or not they would attend the Union Peace Conference.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/myanmar-govt-invites-wa-mongla-groups-to-peace-dialogue

-- Thai PBS 2015-12-24

[ggt]

When Myanmar officials entered the Conference Room...the Wa, Mongla groups had mysteriously disappeared and never heard from again...