National Security Adviser, Ajit Doval and Joint Intelligence Chief & Interlocutor for Naga Talks, R.N. Ravi left for Myanmar on Wednesday to attend the historic signing of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) between Myanmar government and seven armed ethnic groups on October 15 at Nya Pi Taw.
Highly placed sources told Nagaland Post that Myanmar government was “keen” on having representatives from India to be part of the historic event. R.N. Ravi and Ajit Doval will be returning on October 15.
“Though India has no role in the signing of agreement between Myanmar government and its armed groups they (Myanmar government) wanted India to be part of it,” said the source.
Representing India, Doval and Ravi are among the invitees– International and local observers– to witness the signing of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA).
Representatives from the United Nations, European Union (EU), China, Thailand and Japan would be present as witnesses when the peace deal is signed between the government and seven ethnic armed groups, according to Myanmar Peace Centre senior adviser U Hla Maung Shwe.
The president, the two vice presidents, the commander-in-chief and the deputy commander-in-chief of defence services, the attorney-general and the speaker of Pyidaungsu Hluttaw will sign the peace pact on behalf of the government, he added.
Three representatives from each of the ethnic armed groups would be signing the accord.
According to Global New Light of Myanmar report, despite having invited three leaders each from the two ethnic negotiating teams– the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team and the Senior Delegation, only those from the groups would be present on the signing day, said U Hla Maung Shwe.
On October 4, NSCN (K) sources had informed Nagaland Post that the group declined to be part of the NCA signing as it would entail giving up on its demand for sovereignty.
However, the group continued to adhere to the 2013 ceasefire signed with Myanmar government, the source added.
Earlier, eight ethnic armed groups had agreed to sign the NCA. However, in a last minute ditch, Karen National Union (KNU) on Monday reportedly backed out, citing reasons that tension continued in the northern areas of Myanmar.
India on Tuesday claimed that a camp allegedly belonging to NSCN (K) was demolished along the Indo-Myanmar border by the Myanmarese security forces last weekend.
The camp, located at Myanmarese village Monlei, across Tuensang in Nagaland, was completely destroyed by the Myanmarese Army, official sources quoted reports from Myanmar as saying.
In a report, Naw Si Phora Sein, vice chairperson of the KNU said: “I am distressed that tension continues to mount while the time to sign the NCA gets nearer. I presumed the fighting would continue and would hinder the NCA, so I tried to rally all the ethnic armed groups to participate in the agreement.
After the NCA is signed, there must not be another gun shot in the country. However, nightmares continue to haunt the people as fighting goes on, and I have no strength to attend the meeting when the security of the people is threatened.”