The two-pronged different approach in realizing the peace process is the main failure that reconciliation and political settlement have not been able to be achieved.

Aung San Suu Kyi strives for all-inclusivity, but hampered by Tatmadaw’s non-inclusive policy and implementation on the ground. Suu Kyi has no say, whatsoever, in the military’s sidelining of the MNDAA, TNLA and AA, as defense and border affairs are military’s responsible ministries, besides having a veto say in the parliament for being allotted with 25% unelected MP seats.

In the end, Suu Kyi has to pretend that she agreed to the Tatmadaw’s way of doing things. There is a saying in Burmese: “Chaw Lyae Yaw Htaing”; meaning: pretending to look like sitting down, when in fact he or she has fallen or accidentally slipped, so as to save face. There can’t be other explanation for her behavior, other than that she becomes a victim of “Stockholm syndrome”.

But if she chooses not to deviate from her original conviction of all-inclusiveness, the Tatmadaw is employing military pressure to goad the non-signatory EAOs like KIA to sign the NCA.

This has backfired as could be seen by the Northern Alliance fighting back, bring the war to the Tatmadaw and not waiting for its attacks.

The military now would need to change its mindset and conform to the political lead of the NLD regime – provided it refused to let the military hijacked its noble conformity to all-inclusiveness – and not the opposite, if the peace process is still to be saved or salvaged.

Link to the story : Still searching for peace