YANGON, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar official media on Sunday expected that the remaining peace groups will follow suit after two former anti-government ethnic armed groups, which have ceased fire with the government, were transformed into border guard forces under the command of the central government.

    The two ethnic peace groups -- New Democratic Army-Kachin (NDA-K) in Kachin State Special Region-1 and Kayinni Nationalities People's Liberation Front (KNPLF) in Kayah State Special Region-2 -- were transformed into frontier forces by the government on Nov. 8, becoming the first two such organizations out of 17 to do so.

    Myanamr official media described the move as being enabling them to hold arms legally under the command of the government armed forces.

    "Transforming national race armed groups into border guard forces is also an important part in the drive for ensuring national solidarity and national unity, which is much needed for the new nation," the New Light of Myanmar said in its editorial.

    "The Tatmadaw (government armed forces) is the force of all national races and the entire people, not the Tatmadaw of a single race and tribe," it said, adding that "in every sovereignty country, all the armed forces are under the control of the central government".

    The NDA-K, led by Sakhone Ting Ying, ceased fire with the government in December 1989, while the KNPLF did so in May 1994.

    Since the present government came to power in late 1988, 17 anti-government major ethnic armed groups and over 20 small groups were claimed to have returned to the legal fold by signing respective ceasefire agreements with the government.

    Some of the armed groups were resettled with special regions with arms retained, conditionally enjoying self-administration.

    Under the government's fifth step of its seven-step roadmap announced in 2003, a multi-party democracy general election is to be held in 2010 in accordance with the 2008 new state constitution to produce parliament representatives and form a new civilian government.

    The 2008 new state constitution prescribes that all the armed forces in the union shall be under the command of the Defense Services.

    Meanwhile, the government urged ethnic peace groups in the country to adhere to the provisions of the approved new state constitution in the light of upcoming general election next year, advising them to reconsider formation of their political parties in the event of wishing to work for their regional development within the framework of the constitution.

    There also remains 10 legal political parties in Myanmar.