Thein Sein meets one
of the country's biggest ethnic rebel groups in bid to bring them back into
political mainstream.
Thein
Sein, Myanmar's president, has held a landmark talks with one of the country's
biggest ethnic rebel groups.
Delegates
from the Karen National Union (KNU) met Sein in the capital Naypyidaw on
Saturday, following negotiations with ministers in Yangon on Friday.
The
meeting was the first time the president, who issued a call for dialogue last
August, aimed at bringing them into Myanmar's new political system, had met
with the rebel leaders.
"The
president explained his change of attitude towards ethnic armed groups," a
mediator, who participated in the meeting and wished to remain anonymous, told
the Reuters news agency by telephone.
An
independent member of the peace negotiation group present at the talks, who
asked not to be named, described the encounter as "warm and open".
"The
KNU said they will continue peace talks with the government until the end. They
said they would urge other ethnic groups to work for peace," he said.
Six
delegates, including members of the armed wing of the group, were taken
"by special flight" for the landmark meeting, which lasted about 90
minutes, officials said.
Sein,
a former commander and heavyweight in the military governement that ceded power
a year ago, told the KNU delegation that his government viewed the rebels as
brothers rather than an enemy.
Wave of reforms
The
mediator also said that Sein, 66, had indicated the constitution could be
amended to give all groups political representation.
"The
weapons held in their hands should not be for fighting each other but for
defending the country," he quoted Sein as telling the KNU.
The
KNU's armed wing has been battling the government since 1949, one year after
the country then known as Burma became independent in 1948.
Myanmar's
government signed a ceasefire deal with the group in January
The
peace process is one of the most ambitious plans by the current quasi-civilian
government dominated by retired generals.
The
new administration has embarked on a wave of social, political and economic
reforms that it says are "irreversible" as it seeks to get sanctions
lifted to allow a flood of foreign investment into one of Asia's last remaining
frontier markets.
The
West had slapped sanctions on the former government, which was accused of the
suppression of ethnic minorities and human rights violations by its troops.
Peace
with the rebels has been demanded by Western nations now reviewing economic and
political sanctions.
Sein's
meeting comes after an historic by-election on Sunday won by the opposition
leader Aung San Suu Kyi's League for Democracy Party.
aljazeera.com
Business & Investment Opportunities
YourVietnamExpert is a division of Saigon Business Corporation Pte Ltd, Incorporated in Singapore since 1994. As Your Business Companion, we propose a range of services in Strategy, Investment and Management, focusing Healthcare and Life Science with expertise in ASEAN. We also propose Higher Education, as a bridge between educational structures and industries, by supporting international programmes. Many thanks for visiting www.yourvietnamexpert.com and/or contacting us at contact@yourvietnamexpert.com
No comments:
Post a Comment