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Government invites Myanmar’s ethnic groups to 66th Anniversary of Union Day
Posted By: PNA
Post Date : 8 Feb 2013
In recognition of the 1947
Panglong conference, the Myanmar government will play host to its various
ethnic groups in celebration of Union Day on Tuesday.
The 12 February occasion
serves as a reminder of an issue that has destabilized the country since before Myanmar’s independence in 1948 .
Union Day commemorates the
Panglong Agreement, an arrangement for full autonomy in the various regions of
[the previously named] Burma. The agreement was facilitated under the
administration of Aung San, and served to build a bond between the country’s
government and the Shan, Kachin, and Chin ethnic groups on 12 February 1947.
The accord was created in response to numerous rebellions by ethnic minorities
striving for greater autonomy. The increased pressure for a strong central
authority which followed, helped lead to
an army takeover in 1962 which persisted until 2011.
The 66th anniversary of Union
Day will take place in Nay Pyi Taw on Tuesday and President Thein Sein has
extended an invitation to all ethnic armed groups. This includes the Kachin
Independence Organization (KIO), and the Palaung State Liberation Front (F);
neither have confirmed attendance - as the KIO has yet to agree to a ceasefire
with the government,
Efforts to end fighting in
northern Kachin State were taken earlier in the month. Peace talks, in the Chinese
border town of Ruili between the government's union level peace-making
committee and KIO, were held to discuss conflicts resolution. Attacks in Kachin
state continue to persist and
military battalions currently occupy several regions in the state.
Both sides have agreed to hold
another round of peace talks before the end of the month, which will be
attended by military officials.
PSLF delegates, who have also
been invited to the Union Day celebration in the nation’s capital, received an e-mailed invitation to the event.
A representative of the group commented by saying “We (PSLF) have no plans to attend because
government troops have given many reasons
to be skeptical of any ministry efforts”.
This is related to the
increased battalion presence in KIO and
PSLF areas. The PSLF, which share close ties with the
KIA, have been exposed to heavy
artillery by the Myanmar military, who are in conflict with KIO forces. In a
recent attack, military forces IB 136 attacked Hmangie village, a PSLF camp,
and then 4 military trucks travelling from Lashio to Kaungkine. battled with
the Kachin people’s militia . The battle
lasted 20 minutes.
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