The Ethnic Armed Organisations Conference in Karen National Union’s headquarters Law Khee La has concluded. Eighteen ethnic armed groups discussed and agreed a draft framework for a nationwide ceasefire.

Representatives of the United Wa State Army (UWSA), absent from the Ethnic Armed Organisations Conference in Karen State this week because of “language barriers”, have expressed solidarity with other ethnic leaders.

A conference for discussing nationwide ceasefire is being held in eastern Burma’s Karen state from 20 to 22 January. Leading officials from 18 ethnic armed groups met at the Karen National Union’s Law Khee La headquarters.

A delegation of representatives of the Karen National Union (KNU), led by Chairman Mutu Say Poe, met with Burmese President Thein Sein and military Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyidaw on Sunday to discuss the ongoing effort to implement a nationwide ceasefire.

The Burmese government has reached what one observer said was an 80 percent consensus with the ethnic groups on a framework to implement a nationwide ceasefire agreement.

The Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT), made up of representatives from 14 ethnic armed groups, is sitting in Chiang Mai from 26 to 28 November to discuss proposals for a ceasefire after decades of conflict with Burmese government forces.