The views of the Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) leaders and politicians on the meeting between the National Unity Government (NUG) and the United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA).
May 20th, 2022
The leaders of the NUG held an online meeting about the current situation with the ULA/AA for the first time on may 16th. In connection with the military leader’s invitation, the AA responded that it would not attend the peace talk.
The AA issued a statement on May 15th, saying that there were military tensions as the military council was trying to disrupt the ULA’s efforts to implement the administrative and judicial sectors in Arakan State and ensure harmony between Arakan-Muslim. The following day, the AA held an online meeting with the NUG. The following is the collection of views of the EAO leaders, politicians and political observers about the meeting between the AA and the NUG.
Padoh Saw Taw Nee, Spokesperson of the Foreign Affairs Department of the Karen National Union (KNU)
I welcome the meeting. This is the first official meeting between the NUG and the ULA. We are glad to see the meeting between them. Now, the KNU’s goal is to overthrow the military dictatorship. We stand in unison. I have nothing special to say. We are required to clearly understand the situation and actively stand together against injustice in the country. We may face difficulties and challenges when we are making revolution against injustice. We all are not patient about the military’s decades-long bullies. We were deeply involved in the peace process. However, the military finally staged a coup by violent means. The fighting resumes as we are not patient about it. We are overjoyed if every revolutionary organization stands for the truth decisively. But there should be compliance in own policies adopted by every organization. There is no reason to accept the peace invitation while they are doing injustice in the country at present. A turning point for Myanmar’s Spring Revolution will emerge inevitably if they are synonymous with the public.
U Pe Than, Arakanese politician
I don’t know to what extent both sides reached an agreement at the meeting. As this is the first meeting, the NUG may urge the AA to cooperate with and join the NUG. It has been a long time since the NUG wanted to meet the AA. The NUG offered the AA to hold the meeting. At the meeting, the NUG used the terms “Arakan State Government” and the Arakan People’s Authority. The NUG has recognized the existence of the AA. The AA gets the advantages in terms of politics. The meeting amounts to recognizing the ULA instead of meeting with the military council. The NUG may want it. The meeting is useful for both sides. We can’t say exactly to what extent the meeting would bring about the fruitful results. The result will come out based on what will happen with the ULA/AA and how it will go ahead with the NUG.
Col Min Tun, Military Chief of the Arakan National Council/Arakan Army
Generally speaking, such a meeting is said to be good. The problem in Myanmar is the national equality problem for ethnics and the democracy and human rights problem for the ordinary people. Here two ways are said to be different. Two ways are said to be the same when they have coincidence. Because the federal path alone is not perfect without democracy. In turn, democracy alone is not perfect without the federal system. So, it will be best to overthrow the military dictatorship through cooperation among our ethnic forces and democratic forces. However, it is difficult to say in terms of the figures as I don’t know the exact and detailed statement about the topics discussed at the meeting. Here the ULA said the fighting may erupt. These fighting may not be related to the Spring Revolution. Because the goal may be the synchronized attack on the common enemy. The separate attack may help support the Spring Revolution.
U Than Soe Naing, political observer
In my view, that meeting is a good sign for the NUG and the forces of the Spring Revolution. To change the current situation, the NUG seems to have a desire to enable the AA to participate in the Spring Revolution partly and to implement the Way of Rakhita. As a part of the Spring Revolution, the NUG may offer the AA to join the fight against the military council. The Spring Revolution will be bigger if the AA is involved in it. The NUG’s efforts to persuade the AA to join in the Spring Revolution with the view of achieving the success in a shorter period of time, is a necessary political landscape for the Spring Revolution. I will be glad if this landscape is implemented. The military council will try not to open the new frontline in Arakan State as much as it can. According to the basic attitude and the basic attitudes among the EROs, the fighting may occur inevitably. It is a big impetus and a crucial part for the Spring Revolution to end the military dictatorship and establish the federal democracy system.
U Sai Nyunt Lwin, Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD)
We welcome the talk between the AA and the NUG. But we can’t criticize what they discussed. We don’t know exactly what they discussed. It is good to hold the talk as an ally in the Spring Revolution. I have nothing to say.
sent by Aung Htein (DMG)
