By Kantarawaddy Times
The Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP) is one of three of the eight ethnic armed groups in the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) working closely with the council. NUCC was formed last March by various anti-regime groups.
At a recent online press conference, Aung San Myint, a member of the NUCC and the Karenni State Consultative Council, explained how the KNPP, along with the Chin National Front and the Karen National Union, will work directly with the NUCC. The ”ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) have different roles in the NUCC. Some are directly involved, others through their respective state consultative councils,” he said.
Aung San Myint, who represented the KNPP alongside Dr Lian Hmung Sakhong of the CNF and Padoh Saw Taw Nee of the KNU, said that at this stage only three of the eight EAOs in the NCCU have been made public. He said a coordinating committee will be established in the future.
As for the other EAOs in Burma, he told Kantarawaddy Times that there are various reasons why they haven’t yet joined the council. “They’ve different histories, different areas, different political goals and different organisational structures.”
”The council is a collective with the political objective of building a federal democratic union in the future, involving everyone in this political process.”
It was announced at the press conference that a biennial people’s conference will be held later to endorse the draft interim constitution. After forming last spring, NUCC wrote part one and two of the Federal Democratic Charter to replace the junta’s 2008 Constitution. On 16 April, the council established the interim National Unity Government, which includes members of the former government overthrown during the 1 February coup.
Other attendees present at the press conference were Min Ko Naing, leader of 88 Generation Peace and Open Society; Moe Thu, from General Strike Committee Against Military Dictatorship; Dr Tay Zar San, Protest Network Coordination Committee – Mandalay; Lwin Ko Latt, from Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, Nanda Sitt Aung, director of We Generation-Myanmar Labor Alliance, Khant Wai Phyo, leading committee member of Monywa People’s Strike Committee and Lway Poe Nge, general secretary of Women’s League of Burma.
