9 April 2015

Myanmar Peace process: India’s official participation

MARCH 21, 2015

New Delhi is all set to play an official role in the peace talk between Myanmar government and the rebel groups. The former rebel leader and the current supreme leader of the Mizo National Front (MNF) Zoramthanga had earlier visited Naypitaw in January, 2015 to hold peace talk with the Minister in Charge of peace talk with the ethnic group, U Aung Min. He was accompanied by MNF General Headquarter secretary, Rosangzuala and an official from Delhi. Later he flew to Bangkok to hold peace talk with various ethnic rebel groups. This meeting was a follow up of the discussion held in October, 2014 at New Delhi between Zoramthanga and Dessislava Roussanova, one of the team members of the former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair on brokering peace in Myanmar. The outcome of the first meeting was quite positive with the Myanmar’s central government and the 16 ethnic rebel groups agreeing to visit India and study the Mizo Accord. The Mizo Accord was signed between the Rajiv Gandhi government and the then rebel Mizo National Front in July 1986 to end the two decade long violent conflict. Although his first visit to Naypitaw and Bangkok was with the knowledge of the Prime Minister Office (PMO) but not its official sanction. This was because New Delhi was apprehensive of its involvement in the internal affairs of Myanmar and decided to take slow and measured steps.

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