Myanmar's Peace Commission is negotiating deals with non-signatory armed groups to the Nationwide Ceasefire Accord (NCA) so as to enable them to attend the Second Meeting of the 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference later this month.

The government's commission said in a statement released on Sunday that the negotiation, which took place in Chiang Mai in Thailand, covered areas proposed by the armed groups' Delegation for Political Negotiation (DPN), for them to sign the ceasefire pact.

The DPN consists of seven non-ceasefire signatories mainly the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), Kayinni National Progressive Party (KNPP) and New Mon State Party (NMSP).

Myanmar's previous government and eight armed groups mainly involving Kayin National Union (KNU), Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) and Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS)/Shan State Army (SSA)-South signed the NCA on October 15, 2015.

As part of its efforts for national reconciliation and peace, the first meeting of the 21st Century Panglong Conference was held in Nay Pyi Taw in August 2016 and the second of its kind is scheduled for May 24, a nationwide dialogue open to all ethnic armed groups.

The government is also trying to bring in non-NCA signatories, which are members of a coalition of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), to join the peace process.

(Source: Xinhua)