The Office of the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services recently issued a declaration, saying that with the objective of continuing to implement the peace process in a practical manner and achieving the perpetual peace that the entire people aspire to, the military operations will remain to be suspended for one more year from 1 January to 31 December 2023 except for the time when the national security and the State’s administrative machinery are disturbed as well as matters concerning national defence and administration are adversely affected.
In ensuring the peace and prosperity of the Union which is the aspiration of the entire people and in the effectuation of the socioeconomic development as well as in attempting to reach the goal of perpetual peace, the discussion and negotiation approach shall be employed to conform to the democratic practices.
The State Administration Council has formulated the Five-Point Roadmap for strengthening a genuine, discipline-flourishing multiparty democratic system and building up a Union based on democracy and federalism. The peace process is being constantly undertaken to be able to implement the fourth point of the roadmap, “the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) will be abided by as much as possible to ensure attainment of enduring peace across the nation”.
All stakeholders are responsible for restoring peace through talks. Both sides in the talks need to take care of keeping promises for their future plans and following prescribed disciplines. If so, it is sure that both sides of peace talks would restore perpetual peace for the whole nation.
In accord with the objective of attainment of perpetual peace across the nation, enhancing the peace process and more effectively carrying out the nation’s Covid-19 prevention, control, and treatment, Tatmadaw has over four years issued 21 ceasefire statements between 21 December 2018 and 31 December 2022.
Up to now, Tatmadaw has been able to meet two times with the seven NCA signatory ethnic armed organizations namely DKBA, KNU-KNLA/PC, PNLO, NMSP, ALP, RCSS(SSA) and LDU, and three NCA non-signatory UWSA, NDAA, and SSPP (SSA,), totalling ten.
During the peace talks, matters relating to the pursuit of a genuine multiparty democratic system, the building up of the Union based on democracy and federalism, the demands made by the ethnic armed organizations, and things that are essential to respective regions and the country and feasible to implement were discussed frankly for the benefit of the Union with the positive results achieved. The peace process is ongoing to effectuate the path to peace based on the 2008 Constitution and the NCA.
All stakeholders are responsible for restoring peace through talks. Both sides in the talks need to take care of keeping promises for their future plans and following prescribed disciplines. If so, it is sure that both sides of peace talks would restore perpetual peace for the whole nation.
