The Arakan Army (AA), Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), and Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) issued a statement on 18 August saying that they are prepared to join in the government’s Union Peace/21st Century Panglong Conference if they receive an invitation, RFA reported yesterday.
The AA, MNDAA and TNLA are all non-signatories to the nationwide cease-fire agreement (NCA) and have continued to be involved in clashes with Government troops.
The Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC), headed by State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi which is organising the Panglong Conference, decided earlier this week that all armed ethnic groups could attend the event in the capital Naypyidaw.
The UPDJC, composed of armed ethnic groups that signed the NCA, political party representatives, and government representatives, is overseeing the drafting process of the framework for political dialogue. They had met to determine the agenda for the conference.
Panglong Conference organizers are inviting about 700 delegates from the Myanmar government, military, and armed ethnic groups to the negotiations. The first conference is scheduled to take place on 31 August and will be held every six months.