Myanmar’s ethnic armies present ceasefire draft

Eighteen of Myanmar’s ethnic armed groups recently gathered in the rebel-controlled Kachin capital of Laiza to draft guidelines for government negotiations, and to strengthen their collective position on what would become the country’s first national ceasefire agreement.

“All the groups have agreed to go to the nationwide ceasefire proposed by the government together. Without agreement of all of the ethnic [armed] organizations then we will not be successful,” Kachin Independence Army’s (KIA) Gun Maw – a “general” – told IRIN following the groups’ recent gathering in the rebel-controlled Kachin State capital of Laiza. (Read full story here). [source: IRIN]