MYANMAR: According to some of the parties involved, a rebel group in northern Myanmar has reached a ceasefire with the ruling military during discussions mediated by China. This comes after months of planning an offensive that threatened to erode the junta’s hold on power. Since late October, the military, which deposed an elected government in 2021, has been engaged in combat with an alliance of forces from ethnic minorities seeking to oust it from control of their territories. There has been a lot of violence, especially along China’s northern border. The united offensive, supported by a parallel pro-democracy, civilian-led administration, has presented the junta with its greatest military test since the coup and alarmed China with the prospect of disruptions to border trade and an influx of refugees. One of the rebel leaders, TNLA, told Reuters on Friday that a “cease fire without advancing further” had been agreed to by the military and the “Three Brotherhood Alliance”. Because of how sensitive the situation was, he declined to be named.
“It is agreed upon by the (allied side) not to launch aggressive strikes on enemy towns or camps. The military has agreed not to use heavy weaponry, bombardment, or airstrikes in any attacks,” he stated.
The Chinese foreign ministry announced on Friday that during peace negotiations held in Kunming, China, from January 10–11, “the two sides agreed to immediately cease fire and stop the war.”
According to spokesperson Mao Ning for the foreign ministry, both sides also promised not to hurt those living near the Chinese border. “China hopes that all parties concerned in Myanmar will earnestly implement the ceasefire agreement already reached and exercise maximum restraint,” she stated. Additionally, Beijing had stated that the parties had decided to keep up talks and implement a temporary truce last month.
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However, combat persisted throughout the country, especially in the northern Shan State, where last week the rebels took control of Laukkai, a significant commercial town near the Chinese border. The United Nations reports that over 2 million people have been displaced since the coup, including over 300,000 as a result of the latest unrest. Police and military personnel from Myanmar have also fled across borders into India or surrendered to rebel groups as a result of the violence.An inquiry for comment was not answered by a junta representative for Myanmar. Requests for comments on the discussions were not immediately answered by the two other rebel alliance factions, the Arakan Army (AA) and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA).
