Aung San Suu Kyi in spotlight at Myanmar peace meeting

(THENEWLIGHTOFMYANMAR)Myanmar'sAungSanSuuKyiwilladdressethnicarmedgroupsTuesday,organisersofafreshroundofpeacetalkssaid,aftersheoutlinedpeaceasapriorityforhergovernmentwhenittakespowerinMarch.

Thepoliticaldialoguestageoftalksbetweenthegovernment,armyandethnicrebels,encompasseskeyeconomicandsocialissuesthathavespurredtheviolence,includingtheownershipofnaturalresources.

SuuKyi,wholedherpartytovictoryinMyanmar'sNovemberelections,isexpectedtogiveanopeningspeechatthetalksinthecapitalNaypyidaw.

Itisarareappearanceforthedemocracyfigureheadattheyears-longpeaceprocess,whichhasbeensteeredbythecountry'sreformistpost-juntaleadership.

Theprisoner-turnedpoliticianhassaidendingdecadesofconflictbetweenthemilitaryandamyriadofethnicrebelswillbethe"firsteverduty"ofhergovernment.

HkunOkker,amemberofthecommitteeoverseeingthepeacedialogue,saidSuuKyihadacceptedaninvitationtodeliveropeningremarks.

"AungSanSuuKyisaidshewouldmakethepeaceprocessapriorityandweareveryencouragedbyherwords,"hetoldAFP.

PresidentTheinSeinandpowerfularmychiefMinAungHlaingarealsoslatedtoattendthefive-daytalks.

However,somemajorarmedrebelgroupshaveshunnedthetalkswithclashesongoinginpartsofthecountry.

Politicaldialogueisacentraldemandoftheethnicarmedgroups,whohavefoughtforgreaterautonomyinthecountry'smountainousandresource-richborderlandsforgenerations.

TheinSein'sgovernment,whichreplacedoutrightjuntarulein2011,hasdriventhroughapainstakingpeaceprocess.

InOctober,thoseeffortsyieldedaceasefirewithsomerebelgroups,butTheinSeincravesabindingnationwidetruce.

Peacemandate?

Aheadoflastyear'selection,analystspredictedSuuKyi'sNationalLeagueforDemocracywouldstruggletowinseatsinethnicareas.

ButtheNLDgainedathumpingmajorityacrosstheregionalandnationalparliaments.

Questionsremainoverheruneasyrelationshipwiththenation'sstillhugelypowerfulmilitary,whoholdthekeytosecuringalastingpeace.

Severalmajorethnicarmies,includinginwar-tornnorthernKachinandShanstates,haverefusedtosignuptoanationaltruceuntilallgroupsarebroughtintothedeal--notablysmallerorganisationslockedinconflictwiththemilitary.

TunZaw,spokesmanfortheUnitedNationalitiesFederalCouncilwhichrepresentssixarmedgroups,saidhisorganisationwasboycottingthetalksbecausetheylack"inclusively".

Myanmar'sarmypartiallyjustifieditsnearhalf-centurystrangleholdonthenationbecauseoffearsthatethnicdivisionswouldfracturethenation.

Ithastakenpartinmuchofthepeaceprocess,buthascontinuedtofightagainstrebelsinsomepartsofthecountry.

Areportinthestate-backedNewLightofMyanmarlastweeksaidseveralsoldiershaddiedinrecentclashesinwesternRakhinestate,addingthatthemilitaryhadvowedtocontinueitsoffensives"untiltheareaisclearedofallinsurgents".