Seven NCA signatories to discuss constitutional amendments with Myanmar regime

By DMG 24 Dec 2022

DMG Newsroom
24 December 2022, Sittwe 

Seven ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) that are signatories to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) will hold talks with Myanmr’s military junta on amending the military-drafted 2008 Constitution. 

Discussions will be held from December 27-30, during which the two sides will discuss the controversial charter and other issues, according to the spokesman of the seven NCA signatories, Colonel Saw Kyaw Nyunt. 

“We will discuss our proposed amendments to the 2008 Constitution as well as other issues,” he told DMG.  

The relevant signatories — the Restoration Council of Shan State, the New Mon State Party, the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army, the Karen National Union/Karen National Liberation (Peace Council), the Lahu Democratic Union, the Pa-O National Liberation Organization and the Arakan Liberation Party — have all agreed to hold talks with the military regime. Each group will send a senior member and three additional representatives to the talks, in line with the junta’s suggested format for the gathering. 

The seven NCA signatories proposed a meeting with the junta’s National Solidarity and Peace Negotiation Committee (NSPNC) on December 7, with the regime replying the next day that it was not yet ready for a meeting. On December 19, however, the regime said that it wanted to hold talks with the signatories on amending the 2008 Constitution. 

“The NSPNC chairman invited us on December 19 to a meeting,” said Colonel Saw Kyaw Nyunt, declining to provide further details about what charter changes the signatories would propose. 

Critics of the regime say the military has again violated the Constitution because it has no mandate to amend the document. 

“If the 2008 Constitution is to be amended, the process must be led by the president, and amendments must be passed by the parliament,” said political analyst U Than Soe Naing. “The regime has violated the 2008 Constitution by attempting to amend it while there is no parliament and the president is being detained. My view is that they want to forge consensus with some EAOs for the so-called election they are planning to hold.” 

Ten EAOs have signed the NCA, but the other three signatories — the Karen National Union, the Chin National Front and the All Burma Students’ Democratic Front — have publicly opposed the 2021 military takeover, and are engaged in active fighting with the junta.