By Xinhua,
Yangon : A total of 34 individual members from some anti-government armed groups in Myanmar laid down their arms to the government forces in the last quarter of 2007, a state-run newspaper reported Wednesday.
These members, who “exchanged arms for peace” with the government between October and December in different military regions, mainly include those from the Shan State Army-South (SSA-S) led by Ywet Sit, Kayin National Union (KNU), Kayin National Progressive Party (KNPP), Arakan Army (AA) and All Burma Students’ Democratic Front (ABSDF)), the New Light of Myanmar said.
They brought along with them a total of 147 rounds of ammunition among others, it said.
The Ywet-Sit-led SSA-S and the ABSDF, along with two other anti-government organizations — the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB) and the Federation of Trade Union – Burma (FTUB), were declared in August 2005 by the government as unlawful associations.
KNU, which fought with the government for more than five decades since the country’s independence in 1948, remains as the largest anti-government ethnic armed group which has not made peace yet with the government.
According to earlier official report, a total of 27 other individual members from other anti-government armed groups also laid down their arms to the government forces in the previous four months from May to August, bringing along with them a total of 344other rounds of ammunition among others.
In 2006, a total of over 100 such individual armed group members surrendered their arms to the government forces, according to compiled statistics.
Since the government adopted a policy of national reconciliation in 1989, 17 main anti-government armed groups have made peace with the government, returning to the legal fold under respective cease-fire agreements.