Myanmar readies for tiol political dialogue

Yangon, Dec 18: Myanmar is preparing to hold a tiol political dialogue in the coming months, state media reported on Sunday. The dialogue would follow the regiol dialogues that would come up within a week, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee said prelimiry meetings for the tiol dialogue would be held in December-January. The government was working with the Kayin tiol Union (KNU), Kayin tiol Liberated Area (KNLA) and the Democratic Kayin Buddhist Army (DKBA) for the dialogue. The outcome of the talks would be submitted to the Second Panglong Peace Conference in February 2017, in accordance with the tionwide Ceasefire Accord (NCA). The concession was aimed at paving the way for non-sigtory armed groups to join the NCA. However, the outbreak of military conflict in the border area of northern Myanmar’s Shan province on November 20 has delayed the peace process. (IANS)