Myanmar govt, ethnic armed groups resume peace talks

YANGON - Peace negotiators of Myanmar government and ethnic armed groups resumed their seventh day of the seventh round of peace talks Monday after a week-long recess.

The two sides are set to continue discussions on four remaining points left unresolved in their sixth day talks on March 22 and a draft nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) is expected to finalize during this resumed talks.

The government side Union Peace-Making Work Committee (UPWC) is led by its Vice-Chairman U Aung Min, who is also minister at the President's Office, while the ethnic armed groups side Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) is headed by U Naing Han Tha.

The seventh round of peace talks in Yangon commenced on March 17 in a bid to finalize the peace deal.

Meanwhile, heavy fighting between the government forces and the Kokang ethnic army continued in Kokang region almost on a daily basis over the last two weeks and clashes with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) as well in Kachin state amid the peace talks.