Day Two. Tuesday, 23 August 2016

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.

Dale Carnegie (1888-1955)

Today, the Peace Process Steering Team (PPST), the policy making body of the NCA signatories and the Coordination Team (CT), their implementation body, meet to prepare a presentation for the meeting with Ms Suu Kyi, the State Counselor in Naypyitaw tomorrow.

Gen Mutu Saypoe, leader of the PPST, opens the meeting saying:

“In accordance with the request by the PPST on 11 August, the SC has agreed to meet us. The government wants to conclude the process within 3-5 years (as announced on 16 January at the conclusion of the Union Peace Conference (UPC #1). Accordingly, it looks like they want to accelerate things.”

Work reports are then submitted by the CT, UPDJC and the JMC. The main item: what to present tomorrow arrives in due course. The following is the summary of the suggestions made:

• According to the NCA, all legally registered political parties must be represented at every level of the political dialogue. The previous government had agreed to accept them both in the UPDJC and the Union Peace Conference (UPC). In accordance with the principle of inclusivity, this policy should be maintained.
• Also according to the NCA, the UPDJC (and the JMC) are required to be formed/approved by the JICM, not by the President.
• A better line of communication between the EAOs and the government should be established
• There is no denying that there is a lack of intimacy between the two sides
• At the same time, we had accepted the government’s proposal to form the 21^st Century Panglong Preparation Committee (21 CPC), because we knew we couldn’t get the non-signatories on board, if we followed the NCA to the letter
• There are reports that the government wants peace donors to pool their funds together under its control. It will be against the NCA articles 9a (Protection of Civilians), 10 a (Provision of Humanitarian Assistance), and 25 a and 25 c (Tasks to be implemented during the interim period) to do so
• Terms of Reference (ToR) for Liaison Offices formed after bilateral agreements need to be discussed and approved

The meeting also touches on the subject of a more effective mechanism for communications between the PPST and the CT.

At 15:30, all are off to the airport, and by 17:20, are seated on the Air Kambawza bound for Naypyitaw.

The Thingaha Hotel is where we are going to stay and work for the next two days.