Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi announced Monday that the 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference will convene on the last day of August. This is the biggest achievement of the government led by the National League for Democracy (NLD) since it assumed power in April.

Dozens of ethnic militias in Myanmar emerged after the country gained independence in 1948. In October, a long-awaited Nationwide Cease-fire Agreement (NCA) was inked between the U Thein Sein government and some armed forces after nine rounds of talks. But the NCA was not successful as seven of the 15 groups engaged in the talks refused to sign it.

Since the NLD-led government came to power, it has devoted a great deal of attention to promoting the national reconciliation. The inaugural speech by President U Htin Kyaw and the statements made by Suu Kyi on many occasions, to name only a couple of examples, all sent a strong signal that peace is the foundation of Myanmar's national development and peace brooks no delay.

The government has made constant efforts to speed up the process of national reconciliation. It has faced up to reality, conducted practical work and done its utmost to seek support from all sides. In order to prepare for the Panglong Peace Conference, the Myanmar government on July 11 set up an 11-member National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NPRC) that Suu Kyi chairs based on an order by the President's Office. The formation is aimed at laying down policy and guidelines for implementing the work of national reconciliation and exploring ways for the emergence of a federal union.

In view of the army's influence on ethnic reconciliation, Suu Kyi has held four rounds of talks with Myanmar's Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing. They exchanged views over ending military conflicts in the Kachin and Shan states, national reconciliation and peace, rule of law and the upcoming Panglong conference. This indicates that the government has developed a relatively stable relationship with the military and the two will talk more closely in future.  

The ethnic militias have actively responded to the efforts of the Myanmar government. A five-day Ethnic Armed Organizations' Plenary Meeting was held in Maijayang in Kachin state late last month. The meeting, attended by 17 armed groups, is aimed at seeking consensus on building a future federal union. The delegates discussed the issues of approving the Panglong Handbook, basic principles for the constitution of a federal democratic union, basic principles for security and defense, and the amendment of Framework for Political Dialogue.

Meanwhile, two non-participants, the United Wa State Army and the National Democratic Alliance Army-Eastern Shan State (Mongla), held closed-door meeting with Suu Kyi in Nay Pyi Taw on July 29. They agreed to support and participate in the Panglong Conference after the meeting. 

National reconciliation and peace is Myanmar's internal affair and should be achieved through consultations among varied parties, ethnic groups and organizations. All sides should negotiate to narrow differences, bridge conflicts and build mutual trust. However, there is a lack of trust between the armed forces and the Myanmar government, and the military in particular. Coupled with the unpredictable relations between the military and the civilian government, national reconciliation is facing myriad complexities and risks being interrupted by some unexpected incidents.

China, as Myanmar's friendly neighbor, has been supporting and playing a constructive role in promoting Myanmar's peace process. It hopes Myanmar could reach a political solution as early as possible so that the country can boost the economy and improve people's lives on a basis of peace. China is willing to further help promote the peace process.

The biggest challenge facing Myanmar government is to end the civil war and establish a democratic federal union based on the Panglong Conference. The upcoming Panglong meeting indicates that the government, centered on Suu Kyi, has made a soft start toward achieving a pragmatic goal of "no war," so as to eliminate suspicions both at home and abroad over its governance capabilities. Nonetheless, given the current complicated situation, thorny ethnic and religious problems and huge economic pressure, a final solution needs patience and time.

The author is a professor at the School of International Studies at Yunnan University. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn Follow us on Twitter @GTopinion