NAY PYI TAW, July 11 (Xinhua) -- The third meeting of Myanmar's 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference, which aims to unite with all ethnic nationalities and build a democratic federal union through dialogue, kicked off in Nay Pyi Taw on Wednesday.
The six-day Panglong Conference is set to further discuss unfinished fundamental principles on federalism as well as the formulation of new principles for the establishment of a federal union submitted group-wise through national-level political dialogue.
The conference will focus on some remaining points related to political, economic, social, security, and land and natural environment sectors, submitted by the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC) for adoption to be included in the union agreement for peace.
The political sector covers points of the rights of ethnic minorities and democratic human rights and gender equality.
The conference gathered representatives of the government, the parliament, the military, invited political parties, ethnic armed organizations and civil society.
Among the attendees of government leadership at the opening ceremony were President U Win Myint and two Vice Presidents U Myint Swe and U Henry Van Thio, State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, speakers of both Houses, Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Services Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, and Chairman of the Kayin National Union (KNU) Saw Mutu Sae Poe, who represents the ethnic armed groups.
The 17 ethnic armed organizations, present at the event, include 10 signatories and seven other non-signatories to the Nationwide ceasefire Accord (NCA).
The seven non-ceasefire signatories, also known as Northern Alliance, include Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), the United Wa State Army (UWSA), Shan State Progressive Party (SSPP), Mongla's National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA), Kokang's Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), Ta,ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and Arakan Army (AA).
