Leaders to meet in Mandalay for peace talks led by the NLD

Mandalay, in Myanmar  will host a national-level interfaith peace talks next Saturday attended by Union government authorities and organisations representing various ethnic groups and religions.

Titled “Meeting of Friendly Interfaith Brothers and Sisters who Coexist Forever in Myanmar”, the event will be held at Mandalay City Hall and focus on national peace talks in the presence of the country’s main religious leaders, and representatives of the central government.

The aim is to ease sectarian tensions and promote dialogue between the country’s various religions and ethnic groups.

Mandalay Region National League for Democracy (NLD) chairman U Tin Tun Oo said Union-level authorities would be invited to the meeting to discuss how to promote peaceful coexistence for all Myanmar citizens at a time of strong ethnic and religious tensions.

Although Myanmar authorities want peace and co-existence and have recently pushed again for a ceasefire among all rebel groups, violence, confrontation, and bloodshed continue in the north with the Kachin, in the west with the Rohingya, and with nationalist monk U Wirathu at the cost of the country’s development.

The Catholic Church in Myanmar strongly backs the peace process and has called for a "pilgrimage of peace across Myanmar". (AsiaNews)