On the last day of the ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) three-day Chiang Mai summit, on 30 September, a group of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) urged the EAOs to sign the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) according to a report by S.H.A.N. on 1 October.
The CSOs said signing the NCA would have benefits for the EAOs that signed and those who are concerned with safety and security.
Sai Nyi Nyi Moe, a leading member of the New Generation Shan State (NGSS), explained that people's participation in upholding the ceasefire and working for peace could only be guaranteed after the NCA is signed, because until an EAO signs the NCA its members and anyone who associates with them will be liable to prosecution under the notorious Unlawful Associations Act.
His colleagues gave other reasons for signing the NCA, these were: until the NCA is signed there will be no chance to stop increased militarisation by the Myanmar Army; the longer the signing is delayed the more people will suffer, so, the sooner it is signed the sooner their suffering will be reduced; and how sure can anyone be of the next government's commitment to the peace process?
The CSOs also said that no group should be excluded from the NCA process and that the EAOs who are going to sign should continue to work with those EAOs who will not yet be signing.