Public to Participate in Burma’s Peace Process: WLB

21 June 2012: The Women’s League of Burma (WLB) called for public participation to ensure a genuine peace process in the country as it marked World Refugee Day yesterday.

Political parties, civil society and religious organizations, armed groups, and refugees should get involved in Burma’s ongoing peace process, according to a statement by WLB.

WLB’s statement said political resolution of the sixty-year conflict in Burma would not come through official negotiation between the government and armed groups alone.

“The country’s citizens and civil society organizations can play a crucial role in finding solutions to issues that should be on the negotiation agenda,” added the statement.

WLB also stressed the situation of refugees and IDPs (internally displaced person) created by ongoing conflict and fighting inside the country, calling on Thein Sein’s government to take full responsibility.

Tin Tin Nyo, the General Secretary of the Women’s League of Burma, said: “A public peace process is needed in Burma to restore hope for IDPs and refugees to return home and live safely.”

In a statement released on World Refugee Day, the Karen Women Organization (KWO) highlighted the need for women and refugee representatives to take part in Burma’s peace process.

Dah Eh Kler, Secretary of KWO, said: “None of us planned to leave our country and become refugees in another country. So now if there is a possibility for us to return to our homes, we want to have a real test of freedom.”

In the meantime, the Nationalities Brotherhood Forum, a five-party ethnic alliance, formed a peace process committee (PPC) with aims to get involved in bringing about a sustainable peace in Burma by holding discussions and making engagement with ethnic ceasefire armed groups.

Reporting by Thawng Zel Thang
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