A faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland will not be allowed to sign the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement because of the ethnic Naga armed group’s core demand for an independent Naga homeland spanning either side of the Burma-India border, according to government spokesperson Zaw Htay.

Burma’s bicameral parliament today unanimously approved a bill to establish “a Union based on the principles of democracy and federalism”.

The New Mon State Party and Lahu Democratic Union signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) on Tuesday, fulfilling a pledge that the two ethnic armed groups made last month to accede to an accord initially inked by eight non-state armies more than two years ago.

The New Mon State Party and Lahu Democratic Union will sign the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement on 13 February, with their accession to the accord marking one of the most substantive breakthroughs in Burma’s peace process since the National League for Democracy took power nearly two years ago.

The New Mon State Party will sign the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement, marking the first time that an ethnic armed organisation has acceded to the accord since eight initial non-state signatories joined the previous government and military in formally agreeing to its terms over two years ago.

Aung San Suu Kyi reaffirms her commitment to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement at the second anniversary of the pact’s signing as Burma’s commander-in-chief urges holdouts to get on board and the leader of the most prominent ethnic armed signatory to the accord acknowledges doubts about the peace process.