Myanmar’s military government rebuffed on peace talks offer

Myanmar’s military-backed government has invited opposition armed groups to peace talks, but two key rebel groups quickly rejected the offer.

President Min Aung Hlaing, the general who led a coup five years ago that led to the civil war, told a government meeting on Monday that he wanted rebel groups that have not yet agreed a ceasefire deal to join talks within 100 days, according to state media.

“For groups that have not yet engaged in dialogue and negotiation, we also invite them to come participate in discussions by the final deadline of July 31,” he said, mentioning opposition groups that had previously signed a Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) in place before the 2021 coup.

The Karen National Union swiftly turned down the offer. A spokesperson noted the group had withdrawn from the NCA following the 2021 coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government and has “no plans to return to negotiations or follow the NCA path”.

Chin National Front spokesman Salai Htet Ni said his group was seeking a federal democratic system free of the influence of the military.

“Since we are fighting a military-political battle for this, we have nothing to discuss with those who currently call themselves an ‘administration’ after merely changing their appearance from the military,” he said.

Min Aung Hlaing was elected by parliament as president earlier this month, after what critics called a sham election designed to maintain the military’s grip on power behind a veneer of democracy.

The new administration has only been recognised by a few countries.

“We all already understood that the military’s fake invitations are aimed at prolonging people’s subjugation under military rule,” said Nay Phone Latt, a spokesperson for the National Unity Government, the main group coordinating opposition to military rule.

The coup intensified long-standing armed resistance in Myanmar, as pro-democracy activists joined with ethnic armed groups that had been battling for decades for greater autonomy, leading to a civil war still affecting most of the country.

The military government held a series of peace talks with ethnic minority leaders starting in 2022 that aimed to weaken the anti-military alliances, but with little result.