Myanmar: National ceasefire agreement over a decade unanticipated, both sides lack confidence

The Burmese Armed Forces (RCSS) said the national ceasefire agreement (NCA) failed to implement as expected due to the failure to build trust between the two sides.

The national ceasefire agreement (NCA) signed on 15 October 2015 between the semi-civil government and the ethnic armed groups led by Wu Deng Xiaoping celebrated its 10th anniversary on 15 December.

The RCSS issued a press release on October 16 stating that in the past ten years, the NCA has failed to implement as scheduled goals due to the failure of the two sides to build trust.

In addition, RCSS noted that failure to implement the terms of the agreement signed by the two sides, government pressure on the National Armed Organizations (EAOs) to operate under the 2008 constitutional framework, lack of government enthusiasm for national reforms, and military committees taking over state power have caused a stagnation in the peace process.

Therefore, in order to ensure the success of the future peace process, the RCSS suggests that the military should rebuild trust with national armed organizations; that the military should first negotiate and reach agreements with national armed organizations, and then allow political parties to participate; that international witnesses should be invited to participate; that the principles of federalism should be discussed at the core; and that the agreements reached should be submitted to Parliament, and that legislation confirms legal force.

However, a prominent person who helped lead the peace process in Myanmar, Zhang Huang Huang, said in an exclusive interview with The Sun, that the national ceasefire agreement (NCA) has failed and is irreversible.

He stressed that the main purpose of the NCA is not just to stop the war, but that after the ceasefire, the parties should resolve the problem through political dialogue and political pathways.

Military leader General Min Aung Hlaing said at the 10th anniversary ceremony of the signing of the NCA held on October 15 that the military commission will continue to advance the terms listed in the NCA agreement in future parliaments despite the unwillingness to cooperate with its troops.

He claimed that because he himself signed the NCA, he would not break the commitment, and said it was too late to implement the agreement.

Military leader General Mignolet also said that ethnic organizations should not make appeals by armed means, but should make appeals on a political platform, that is, within parliament.

However, the six ethnic armed groups pointed out in a joint statement issued on October 13 that the military coup has blatantly undermined the essence, basic principles and goals of the NCA agreement, the implementation process of the NCA has also stalled, and the agreement has become a dead letter.

The six ethnic armed organizations include the Clan National League (KNU), the Chin National Front (CNF), the BoE National Liberation Organization (PNLO), the Burmese Student Democracy Front (ABSDF), the New Bang Bang Party (NMSP-AD) and the Labuan Democratic Union (LDU).

The six organizations said the military council's so-called NCA-related actions were just a show and that the 2008 constitution had expired.

It is reported that on October 15, the RCSS only sent a delegation to attend the ceremony commemorating the 10th anniversary of the signing of the National Ceasefire Agreement NCA that began in Naypyidaw.