Myanmar government , Kayinni armed group sign 8-point agreement

Myanmar government's central peace making group and the Kayinni National Progressive Party (KNPP) signed an eight-point agreement in their second day peace talks in Loikaw, Kayah state Thursday, state radio and TV reported in a night broadcast. The government side was headed by U Aung Min, who is Minister at the President's Office and Vice Chairman of the Central Peace Making Work Committee, while the KNPP side by its Vice Chairman U Khu Yal. The eight-point agreement covers continued implementation of ceasfire, continued coordination on movement of troops of the two sides, establishment of a joint monitoring group, introduction of a model village program, resettlement of internal displaced persons and removal of mines, formation of a technical team and food supply arrangement. The two sides resumed their second round of talks on Wednesday. In their first round of peace talks in Loikaw in June last year, the government side had agreed to KNPP's 20-point demand including stopping armed attack and striving for regional development. KNPP had once ceasefired with the government in 1995 but the truce was broken three months after the signing. The government claimed that so far, 10 out of 11 ethnic armed groups have signed preliminary peace pacts with the government at state or central levels since President U Thein Sein announced peace offer with ethnic armed groups in August 2011.