The voices of peace observers from civil society

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How is the involvement extent of representatives from legislative branch in peace process?

Related to this, we have shared the voices of peace observers from civil society as below.

Ko Kyaw Htin Aung (LAIN Technical Support Group, Board Director)

Pyithu Hluttaw and Amyotha Hluttaw including Ethnic Affairs Committee are involving in peace. However, those members of committees could join just as passive participants only when the 21st Panlong Conference is held. Besides, if we look at the whole union, in Hluttaw, one representative from Pyithu Hluttaw and one representative from Amyotha Hluttaw participate as committee members collaborating with NRPC; nevertheless, we do not see their effective cooperation. We see that after U Aung Soe was retired, Ko Pyone Cho, the so-called U Htway Win who is replaced, could not perform any significant leading and change although he is involved in peace process as Hluttaw representative. We saw that only the government and military are superior, and if there is something occur, only the retired General Kin Zaw Oo leads the team and Hluttaw representatives involve to the case as passive participation. If we look at our state, we do not see any special occasion that they give permission to State Hluttaw regarding to peace implementation. In the negotiation and struggle for NCA of KNPP, we realize that the 3 + 3 also didn’t work. In that negotiation, we saw only the government group, and the legal Hluttaw representatives didn’t participated. So, the extent of Hluttaw representatives’ participation is just passive participation in peace process.

U Banyar (the Director of Karenni Human Rights Group)

After NLD government won the election, we expected so much to them. We thought that they, the state Hluttaw representatives, will be the one who could reflect or care the voice of public related to state’s peace process. In other ways, we expected too high that each of the Hluttaw MPs might be able to implement many things. In practice, we have seen that there is nothing the Hluttaw representatives, within these four years, have done significantly regarding to peace dialogue. Just last year, however, the Peace Affair Committee was successfully organized under the Hluttaw administration. But, when they submitted this committee to the Union Hluttaw as a remark, it was not approved. They did not get any clear answer whether to keep going forward or stop organizing it. Therefore, single Hluttaw representative could not do; with the whole Hluttaw, they might be able to organize this committee to monitor peace. However, there is no active implementation. In that case, I would like to give my remark that either each of the Hluttaw representative or Kayah State Hluttaw could not do any change regarding to peace process.

Saw Kyaw Ni Min (Youth Activist)

The Hluttaw reign would be 4-year full in coming 20st. If we look at the peace process within these four years, it goes neither forward nor backward, and it just going around, and we see there are fighting in some regions. Whatever it is, I see the fighting is happening in either KNU or RCSS; the huge conflict occurring in Arakhine State. Indeed, there are government group, Hluttaw, Legislation, and Administration under government. And we have Hluttaw in Legislation. What I see mainly in Hluttaw is the current peace process is concerned with the whole country. So, we may need to ask question to the Hluttaw MPs who got seat at Hluttaw that how much they are interested in peace, or how much they understand peace process. Within these four years, I am sure I could say they, the Hluttaw representatives, are either have poor participation or poor understanding and interest to peace process.

Khu Htet Bu (Karenni National Progressive Party, Central Committee)

NLD is the winner party. As they are the one who could team up government group, the public also elected them, and they became like this. So, in this peace process, they are main party and they have responsibility to command and lead. Indeed, it is important that they lead the people with careful observation and understanding of the basic historical points. I see that it should not be done as they expected. What I want to say is they should know how the peace process is supposed to be, the situation of Karenni (Kayah) State, or the tradition, belief, political content and routines of the people of Karenni (Kayah) State. Based on these, they should try to find best suitable way and go forward, and they should also say it out. What I wonder is I could not say whether they consider in that extent or not. In fact, the most responsible persons are them.

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