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Myanmar Military Abolishes NLD's Peace and Reconciliation Mechanism, Arrests Civilian Leaders

By Sai Wanna, Myanmar Times

09 February 21

he Tatmadaw (military) government has disbanded the National Reconciliation and Peace Centre (NRPC), the leading internal peace process mechanism of the previous government, arresting some of its civilian leaders.

The Tatmadaw has informed the ethnic armed groups that future peace talks will be continued only with the Tatmadaw-formed peace committee.

The NRPC was led by State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Tatmadaw has only been under the leadership of the organisation in conducting political talks with the armed ethnic groups.

On February 1, the military declared the state of emergency by arresting and detaining several civilian leaders including President U Win Myint, State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Union Ministers, and chief ministers of the states and regions.

"We have been informed that the NRPC has been abolished,” said Lamai Gum Ja, a member of the Peace-Talk Creation Group (PCG). PCG has been helping in peace talks between the four-member Northern Alliance ethnic armed groups and the Tatmadaw.

“If there is any need for talks, we should only discuss with the group formed by the military. The members of the Northern Alliance have yet to show any clear stance on the situation," he added.

Prior to the military takeover, an agreement had been reached to hold talks in February between the Tatmadaw and Northern Alliance members comprised of the Kachin Independence Army, the second largest armed group in the country, the Rakhine-based Arakan Army, the Ta’ang National Liberation Army and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army. The four armed groups have yet to signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA).

"The planned talks was automatically cancelled after the military coup," said U Lamai Gum Ja, adding he is not sure if there possibility of peace talks to happen between the Tatmadaw-formed peace committee led by Lieutenant-General Yar Pyae.

A phone call to Major General Zaw Min Tun, spokesperson of the military's True News Agency, went unanswered.

Colonel Khun Okkar, chairman of Pa-O National Liberation Organisation, issued a cautious warning that any political agreement with new government formed by the Tatmadaw after its power seizure could mean that the armed ethnic groups recognize it. - Translated