RCSS/SSA and Naypyitaw have agreed on 12 points on peace talks

Shan ethnic arm group and Naypiytaw have signed on the 11 points agreement at the peace talks meeting in Kengtung on Saturday, according to SHAN journalists reporting from Kengtung, capital of Shan State East.

This is the third agreement that have signed by both Shan State Army – South and also known as Restoration Council of Shan State and Thein Sein government since the two sides began peace talks late last year.

Lt-Gen Yawd Serk, talks to government negotiators during their meetting in kengtung on 19 May 2012 (Photo: Khin Maung Win / AP)

Earlier this year, the two sides signed an 11 points agreement when the first round State level peace talks was held in Taunggyi, the capital city of Shan State on January 16.

The second round of State level meeting took place at 9:30 A.M Burmese local time on Saturday at the conference hall of Triangle Regional Military Office in Kengtung.

“In the agreement, it includes about setting up SSA’s main offices, armed force’s activities in the regions and the drugs eradication”, said Sai Hseng Ya, a SHAN reporter, reporting from Kengtung.

Among the 12 points agreement are:

To eradication drugs.
To jointly survey the Homong and Monghta sub-townships
To set up a Monitoring Committee for the peace process.
To free political prisoners.
To allow SSA media group to freely operate and set up offices in the country.
To work together with Non-governmental organisations NGO for the benefit of the people.
To set up an industrial zone on the border.
To support Shan literature and cultural activities.
To allow operations of economy development such as trading and business activities with the people for supporting RCSS/SSA members and their families.
To allow RCSS/SSA to free hold consultation with groups, parties and people.
To issue citizenship cards for RCSS/SSA members, Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) and refugees.

From the government side that have signed in the agreement are Gen Soe Win, Deputy Commander-in-Chief and the vice Chairman of Working Committee for Union Peacemaking, U Aung Min, the Minister of Railway Transport and the vice Chairman of WCUP and others military officers in the region.

Yawd Serk pointed out that there have been 17 clashes since the two sides have begun peace talks from 2 December last year. If these kinds of clashes continue tooccur it will certainly negative impact on what President Thein Sein has aimed for his 2013 peace achievement with the arm groups. The government also will confront difficulty with its aim for 2014 ASEAN’s chairmanship because the government will lose trust from International community. If government achieve peace with ethnic groups it will certainly make a milestone history for Burma, Sai Hseng Ya reported.

But President Thein Sein has urged the ethnic arm groups to permanently enter into legal fold and set up political parties to contest in the elections. He said they can freely operate as the same level as other people under the 2008 constitution. He made an announcement in the Burmese government owned media, the New Light of Myanmar in Burmese language on Saturday, the day between RCSS/SSA and Naypyitaw’s delegates met in Kengtung.