Truce signed between rebels, Myanmar government

Only eight of the 15 armed groups operating in Myanmar signed the agreement. Representatives from the United Nations, EU, India, China, and Japan are in Myanmar’s administrative capital Naypyidaw, to witness the accord.

“As a friendly geographical, historical and cultural neighbour of Myanmar, we were glad to make a small contribution to the best prospects of peace in Myanmar”.

There are more than 20 rebel groups in the country.

Myanmar’s authorities & eight armed ethnic groups have signed a cease-fire agreement that’s being hailed by officers as a serious achievement, although several different rebel armies refused to sign the deal. But Myanmar’s refusal to grant more autonomy to the Naga self-administered area in Sagaing Division may have upset Khaplang – though not accepting the ceasefire pact would foreclose future concessions from Nay Pyi Taw.

President Thein Sein had been pushing for the deal to include all ethnic rebels and for it to be signed before the general elections next month.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s special envoy for northeast R N Ravi and former Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga were also present on the occasion.

The eight armed groups agreed with the government to sign the NCA as advance signatories who were promised by President U Thein Sein to have them removed from the government’s list of outlawed organisations.

That would give them greater control over their natural resources in the northern Shan state, including a say in issues surrounding an oil pipeline to China that has displaced people and destroyed livelihoods.

Observers said the conflict is a central reason for the government’s failure to deliver on its promise to end armed clashes in Myanmar before the November 8 vote. The agreement, however, could be short-lived, because the army continues to fight in a few areas (particularly the Kachin territory in the north) ignoring government orders to stop the war. The government has allowed new political parties to form and freed Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest, where she had been relegated for her role as a leader in the pro-democracy struggle. Central Committee member Win Htein represented the National League for Democracy instead.

Still, hundreds of thousands of Karen people live in refugee camps on either side of the Thailand-Myanmar border.

“We always urged all armed groups to take part in the signing from the start to the finish”. The removals could be a crucial step to the groups joining the political mainstream.

From the point of view of Generational Dynamics, this situation with multiple peace agreements is a complex example of something that I have discussed a number of times before with respect to other countries.