Yangon, March 17: Peace negotiators of the Myanmar government and ethnic armed groups, in their first day of resumed peace talks in Yangon on Tuesday, agreed to seek political ways for reducing conflict referring to the current fighting in Kokang region and Kachin state. Participants agreed to take lessons out of the current issues to prevent recurrence through understanding building, Xinhua news agency reported citing a press conference held at the end of the first day’s talks. Sixteen ethnic armed groups’ tionwide Ceasefire Coordition Team (NCCT) participated in the talks held at the Myanmar Peace Centre.
Earlier on Tuesday, U Aung Min, vice chairman of the government’s Union Peace-Making Work Committee (UPWC), said in his opening remarks that the resumed peace talks with the ethnic armed groups would strive for a draft tionwide ceasefire agreement, while calling for overcoming the outstanding issues.
U Aung Min, who is also minister at the President’s Office, told the meeting that the government was making efforts to reach the ceasefire accord aimed at building a foundation of carrying the peace process to the next term of government, creating a firm ceasefire and starting political dialogue.
He cited President U Thein Sein as saying that “ethnic conflict cannot be resolved by use of force but through political dialogue”. He also emphasised the need not to use force to resolve domestic conflicts as it could lead to chaos in the country. Lt. Gen. Myint Soe from the No. 1 Special Operation of the military expressed the belief that if understanding on conflict reduction and ceasefire was built during the meeting between the armed forces and the KIO, peace would be achieved. (IANS)