Arakan Liberation Party invited to peace talks

Monday, 30 January 2012 13:28 Mizzima News

(Mizzima) – The Burmese government has invited the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) to attend peace negotiations, a party spokesperson told the Narinjara news agency. 

Khine Thukha, secretary-2 of the ALP, said the party received the request through its armed wing based on the Thai-Burma border on January 23. No date for the talks was available.

"The deputy leader of the regime's Union Level Peace Making Group, Thein Zaw, sent an invitation letter to our Vice President U Khine Soe Naing Aung," Khine Thukha told the website.

The ALP and its armed wing, the Arakan Liberation Army, have been fighting guerrilla wars against the government on the Indo-Burma and Thai-Burma border for the freedom and ethnic rights of Arakanese people in Burma, the website said.

The ALP party and its army were founded in 1973. Its headquarters is based on the Indian border near Arakan State.