Myanmar signed National Ceasefire Agreement with 8 armed ethic rebel groups

Myanmar Government on 15 October 2015 signed a peace deal, called the National Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), with eight armed ethnic rebel groups. But the most active seven rebel groups have stayed out of the deal.

The peace deal was signed in the capital, Nay Pyi Taw and is the culmination of two years of peace talks between the government and rebels. Representatives from the United Nations, China and the US witnessed the signing.

Main highlights of the NCA
• To monitor de-escalation of fighting, the Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Committee (JMC) will be formed.
• As conditions improve, the government will increase development work. Priority will also be given to international assistance and investments that benefits the people in the region.
• Additionally, the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC) will be formed to facilitate political dialogue, as provided in the NCA.
• The Ethnic Armed Organisations have assented to the Three Main National Causes. These are
i. Non-disintegration of  the  union
ii. Non-disintegration of national solidarity and
iii. Perpetuation of national sovereignty
• At the  same  time,  the  government has accepted the demands of the Ethnic  Armed  Organisations  to establish  a  union  based  on  the principles of democracy and federalism.  

Some groups that have not signed the peace deal includes
The United Wa State Army (UWSA): It is the largest group among those who have not signed the deal. It operates with some 25000 members on the border of China.

Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO): Its Independence Army (KIA) controls large areas of north-eastern Kachin state and has regularly clashed with the Burmese army since a ceasefire collapsed in 2011.

Shan State Army: It is one of the largest groups which operated to resist the activity of the military government of Burma in Shan State. SSA was formed in 1964 by a merger of existing resistance groups, and recruited and trained thousands of local Shan people.

Comment
With this, , the President Thein Sein hopes that six decade long conflict may come to an end, and a road of peace will be followed.

Myanmar (also known as Burma) has been engaged in an armed conflict with various ethnic rebel groups seeking greater autonomy since independence from the British in 1948. This violence has resulted in killing of tens of thousands, displacement of hundreds of thousands and more.

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