NAY PYI TAW, May 24 (Xinhua) -- The second meeting of the 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference of Myanmar kicked off in Nay Pyi Taw Wednesday, nine months after the first in August 2016.
The five-day Panglong conference meeting is aimed to unite all ethnic nationalities and build a democratic federal union through dialogue.
Some 1,400 representatives from the government, the parliament, the military, invited political parties, ethnic armed organizations and civil society participated in the meeting.
President U Htin Kyaw and two vice presidents, State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, speakers of both Houses, Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Chairman of the Union Solidarity and Development Party U Than Htay and Chairman of the Kayin National Union (KNU) Saw Mutu Sae Poe, who represents the ethnic armed groups attended the opening ceremony.
The 15 ethnic armed organizations, present at the event, include eight signatories and seven other non-signatories to the Nationwide Ceasefire Accord (NCA).
The seven non-ceasefire signatories, also known as Northern Alliance, include Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), the United Wa State Army (UWSA), Arakan Army (AA), Kokang's Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and Ta,ang National Liberation Army (TNLA).
