Representatives of the Burmese government’s National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC) and ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) signatory to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) held an informal meeting in Chiang Mai, Thailand on Monday.  

The meeting took place at 3:30 p.m., with the NRPC’s team led by the retired Lt-Gen Khin Zaw Oo and leaders of the 10 NCA-signatory EAOs. 

“Today’s meeting is an informal meeting. The EAOs reported difficulties they are facing in the implementation of the peace process,” U Zaw Htay, spokesperson for the President’s Office and peace delegation member, told SHAN. “We are especially explaining and making sure they understand the government’s proposal.”

According to U Zaw Htay, they discussed different definitions of the NCA, the status of the peace process in the coming year, and basic principles like federalism and the government’s Union peace conferences—which they want to hold again, he added. 

“What we are going to do before 2020? What we are going to do after 2020? What we can do to get something out of the [next] peace conference?” he said of questions that they addressed. “The next government can continue to implement this process after 2020,” U Zaw Htay said, referring to the administration elected after polls in 2020. 

The NRPC team was scheduled to meet NCA signatories the Karen National Union and the Restoration Council of Shan State on Tuesday. 

The Peace Process Steering Team (PPST) will hold a meeting on August 21.