United Nations a steady partner in Myanmar’s reform, reconciliation process: Ban Ki-moon

Negotiations on a permanent peace are expected to last months if not years.

The delegates, dressed in traditional garb and headgear, streamed into a conference hall in Naypyitaw for the five-day talks called by the new government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Today’s talks were first top-level engagement between the two countries after government of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy came to power following the historic elections that brought curtains down on decades-long military rule.

“We thank the people of India for supporting our ongoing reform process and efforts to achieve peace and national reconciliation”, he said.

It is “regrettable” that Indians are hostile towards China and suspicious of the latter’s “increasing” influence in Myanmar, China’s state-run media said in an article on Wednesday.

Why Are The Talks Happening Now?

The previous military-backed government brokered individual truces with various insurgent groups and oversaw a ceasefire covering eight minor insurgencies a year ago that fell short of a nationwide deal.

“I conveyed the concern of the worldwide community about tens of thousands of people who have been living in very poor conditions in IDP camps for over four years”, said Ban. Resolving the country’s violence has been a goal of state chancellor Aung San Suu Kyi since her National League for Democracy party won a parliamentary majority past year.

“It is still too early to say” whether this Panglong conference is representative of the aspirations of all groups, said Khu Oo Reh, the spokesman of the United Nationalities and Federal Council, a group that represents all ethnic armed groups.

Under the previous government, eight out of about 20 major ethnic armed groups signed the nationwide ceasefire pact.

All armed ethnic groups, which have tens of thousands of fighters between them, were invited and most are attending.

But the military, which still holds 25% of seats in parliament, sees its role as resisting the break-up of Myanmar, so are likely to oppose any such move. It also remains unclear, he adds, how much devolution of power Suu Kyi actually wants.

“It’s the Tatmadaw [military] members and our brethren members of ethnic armed groups, who have been directly suffering from all bad impacts of wars resulting from the lack of peace in the country, sacrificing their limbs and lives”. The group would like to hold onto their arms until a deal is reached.

Reacting to Annan’s appointment, Ban said he would support his predecessor’s work in Rakhine and work with Myanmar’s central authorities to tackle the issue of the Rohingya.

Some ethnic participants who spoke to Channel NewsAsia felt encouraged by the speakers and their commitment to wanting to stop conflicts in Myanmar.

However, under the former president’s watch inter-communal religious tension, fomented by nationalist sentiment, erupted between Muslim and Buddhism communities, including the deadly 2012 violence in Rakhine State, and subsequent episodes throughout the country. Many Buddhists view Rohingya as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, even though many have been living in Myanmar for generations.

Many from the million-strong Muslim minority are denied citizenship, voting and work rights, and are reviled in overwhelmingly Buddhist Myanmar.

Representatives from the insurgents told the AFP news agency the Myanmar military had launched new attacks on rebel positions in the northern states of Shan and Kachin on Tuesday morning.