11 July 2016

News Story: Myanmar ethnic summit to be held before Panglong Conference

YANGON, July 10 (Xinhua) -- An ethnic summit of Myanmar will be held in northernmost Kachin state on July 26 in preparation for the government-sponsored 21st Century Panglong Ethnic Conference planned for late August, local media reported on Sunday.

The three-day summit is to be held in Mine Kyar Yan controlled by the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO).

The decision was adopted at a meeting in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on Friday involving representatives of eight signatories and other non-signatories to the Nationwide Cease fire Accord (NCA).

The non-signatory armed groups are represented by the United Nationalities Federal Council's (UNFC) Delegation for Political Negotiation (DPN).

Such ethnic summits were held in Laiza, headquarters of the KIO, Law Khee lar of the Kayin National Union (KNU), and Pansai of the United Wa State Army (UWSA) in the course of the peace process over the previous years.

Read the full story at Xinhua