"Next Wednesday Burma will hold the ?21st Century Panglong Conference” — the latest step in the country?s long peace process. It will be a moment imbued with symbolism. In 1947, Aung San Suu Kyi?s father, General Aung San, led the Burma delegation at the first Panglong Conference which reached a breakthrough agreement with three armed groups and is still etched in the popular memory of the country today. A lot is at stake with this Panglong Conference. As with the peace process generally in Burma, this is the opportunity to transform the country, into a state the people of Burma have wanted for several decades. But to do so it must be fully inclusive. Getting all of the ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) to the table is a major challenge in itself. There remain three groups, still in active combat, that were excluded from discussions on the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) and how they will participate in the Panglong Conference is still confusing. There has been much focus on the inclusion of these groups and this is important, especially given human rights violations which are particularly prevalent in areas of continuing conflict. But inclusivity is about more than just political players; it is also about all stakeholders. Experiences in other countries have shown time and time again the need for women to play an equal part, for grassroots organisations and civil society to have a strong voice and for information to be freely available for the people to follow developments. These are the ingredients for a sustainable, inclusive process which can propel the country forward and into the prosperous future for all. Unfortunately, during my recent visit to Burma I saw signs that the peace process risked neglecting these fundamental aspects. Burma has only a couple of days before the Panglong Conference and quick changes should be made to ensure these vital aspects are addressed..."