Myanmar government, rebels resume ceasefire talks

Yangon, Sep 22 (IANS) The Myanmar government and ethnic rebels Monday resumed the sixth round of ceasefire talks in Yangon.

The talks between the government's Union Peace-Making Work Committee (UPWC) and the ethnic armed groups' National Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) also involves parliamentarians and the army, Xinhua reported.

UPWC vice chairman U Aung Min said Myanmar's peace process had entered into an important phase and such a ceasefire agreement had never emerged in the country's history.

NCCT leader U Naing Han Tha called for emphasis on available opportunities and efforts for achieving peace in the country.

Important progress was made in the fifth round of talks in August after the two sides overcame many conflict issues to reach a consensus and moved towards the finalisation of the draft of a nationwide ceasefire accord.

During the last talks, the government made a major concession. They complied with the ethnic armed groups' demand for building a federal system of government, guaranteeing the democratic rights, national equality and self-determination.

The rebels also agreed to the government's principles of non-disintegration of the union, non-disintegration of national solidarity and perpetuation of sovereignty.

The UPWC and leaders of the ethnic armed groups met in Myitgyina, capital of the Kachin state, for the first time in November 2013.

Since the 1950s, a number of ethnic armed groups have existed in Myanmar.

Since U Thein Sein's government took office in March 2011, it has vigorously pushed the process of national reconciliation in the country.

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