Myanmar’s military junta has extended an unexpected peace offer to armed groups opposing its rule, calling for an end to hostilities and the start of political dialogue. However, the offer was swiftly rejected by rebel groups, which remain deeply skeptical of the military’s intentions and credibility. The rejection comes as the junta struggles to maintain control over the country in the face of mounting battlefield losses and a growing civil war that has persisted for more than three years since the military coup in 2021.
On September 26, Myanmar’s State Administration Council (SAC), the military-led governing body formed after the February 2021 coup, urged ethnic armed groups and the pro-democracy People’s Defence Forces (PDF) to abandon what it termed the “terrorist way” and engage in political dialogue. This marked the first time the junta had called for peace talks since seizing power, following a coup that ousted the country’s democratically elected government.
In its statement, the SAC invited these groups to pursue “party politics and elections,” proposing that armed organizations could be part of the upcoming national elections planned for next year. The military’s outreach comes amidst reports of significant setbacks on the battlefield, where it has lost ground to ethnic armed groups and the PDF, which emerged in response to the 2021 coup. Reports indicate that the junta now controls less than half of Myanmar’s territory.
🇲🇲 #Myanmar: The Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) has captured the strategically vital town of Mogok from the junta. Mogok is a large center of production for Myanmar’s mineral industry, and overlooks the city of Mandalay (Myanmar’s second largest city).
(via… pic.twitter.com/xO6NccS8YE
— POPULAR FRONT (@PopularFront_) July 25, 2024
The response from various rebel groups to the peace offer was swift and firm, with many expressing deep skepticism about the military’s intentions. The Karen National Union (KNU), one of Myanmar’s oldest ethnic armed organizations fighting for greater autonomy, outlined strict preconditions for any negotiations. KNU spokesman Padoh Saw Taw Nee stated that talks could only proceed if the military agreed to a “federal democratic constitution,” ensured no military participation in future politics, and was held accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed since the coup. “No impunity” was a key demand emphasized by the KNU.
Other armed groups, such as the Bamar People’s Liberation Army, dismissed the offer outright, calling it insincere. Maung Saungkha, the group’s leader, stated they were “not interested in this offer.” Similarly, the commander of the Mandalay People’s Defense Forces, Soe Thu Ya Zaw, expressed distrust of the military’s proposal, likening it to “hanging goat’s heads but selling dog meat,”
Myanmar Navy vessel attacked on the Irrawaddy River with recoilless rifles by Kachin Independence Army (KIA) forces. pic.twitter.com/l1ztdUv6g7
— Clash Report (@clashreport) September 26, 2024
Last week, the UN reported that Myanmar was descending into a “human rights abyss,” with widespread accounts of torture and abuse inflicted on detainees by the military. Since the coup, over 50,000 people have been killed, and more than two million have been displaced, according to UN estimates. Eyewitness reports describe horrific acts of torture, including instances where detainees were burned with petrol or forced to drink urine.
Adding to the crisis, the country is still reeling from the devastation caused by Typhoon Yagi, which resulted in severe flooding, leaving over 400 people dead and hundreds of thousands in urgent need of assistance.
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