By Thu Thu Aung, Myanmar Times | December 8, 2016

The Shan State Hluttaw yesterday green-lit a controversial proposal to designate the new Northern Alliance-Burma as a “terrorist” organisation, in a motion put forward by a lawmaker from the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party.

The proposal, from Lashio USDP lawmaker U Aung Thu, was discussed yesterday prior to the vote.

“Not acknowledging problems as problems could make problems worse,” said U Khu Oo Reh, general secretary of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) ethnic armed group coalition, following yesterday’s discussion. The Shan State parliament has been convening a series of emergency meetings in light of a recent uptick in conflict in the northern part of the state.

The Northern Alliance is a coalition comprised of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), the Arakan Army (AA) and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA).

A motion to discuss the proposal was approved on December 6, in a vote of 61 in favour and 53 against. Successful passage of the proposal yesterday saw 63 votes cast in favour by military and USDP lawmakers. There were 45 objections and seven abstentions. Of a total 136 MPs in the Shan State Hluttaw, 21 were on leave yesterday.

The outcome of the vote came much to the dismay of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy, the legislature’s second-largest political party.

“The result came out

[this way] because the Shan State Hluttaw’s layout was dominated by USDP and military MPs. We, the SNLD, objected to the discussion. This won’t stop war or solve the problem of the civil war,” said MP Nang San San Aye (SNLD; Hsipaw 1).

“After they approved [the Northern Alliance] as a terrorist ethnic armed group, I have a question: What about our ethnic people who live in remote areas, the Myanmar civilians?” asked U Khu Oo Reh.

“In the remote ethnic areas, some have died, some have been tortured, have been forced into portering. Some have fled because of the military. The civil war has been running for seven decades. The government, military and political parties didn’t mention that. Now they speak out after ethnic armed groups start retaliatory attacks.”

“It is a political problem. We all want to solve through political dialogue. If they solve a problem by [making another] problem, it will not be finished,” he added.

This was echoed by Kachin Democratic Party representative U Jaw San Naw, who said the Shan State parliament should discuss the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) as a means of intervening in, and trying to put an end to, the northern Shan conflict.

“Those who suffer most are the civilians. More open and fair political dialogue and discussion are needed. A political dialogue which all parties participate in is the only way to end the conflict,” said U Jaw San Naw.

An open letter from 132 civil society organisations to the hluttaw was made public yesterday, ahead of the emergency session.

The letter stated that CSOs objected to the military pressure in the region, as well as emphasising that national reconciliation and ongoing political dialogue are key to reviving Myanmar’s flagging peace process.

The Northern Alliance has issued calls for genuine peace talks and in a December 4 statement demanded that the government unilaterally announce a nationwide ceasefire.

The alliance launched a joint offensive in Muse and Kutkai townships on November 20 in what they say was a response to mounting military pressure by the Tatmadaw. Clashes in the past two weeks have continued to play out between government troops and the Northern Alliance.

This article originally appeared on Myanmar Times on December 8, 2016.

You may also like: