Myanmar military halts operations against ethnic rebels

By Kyaw Ye Lynn

YANGON (AA) – Myanmar military on Friday declared a four-month unilateral cease-fire in the country’s northern and northeastern areas where it has been fighting with ethnic armed rebel groups for years.

The office of military chief Sen. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing said in a statement that the military would cease all military operations in five military commands from Dec. 21 to April 30.

The unilateral cease-fire covers one military command in northern Kachin state and four in northeastern Shan state. Both regions border with neighboring China.

“The truce is in order to allow talks with each ethnic armed group in the region," said the statement.

The announcement came days after the Northern Alliance Ethnic Forces, comprising three ethnic armed groups fighting against the military in Kachin and Shan states, pledged to cooperate with government in bringing peace.

The UN welcomed the move.

UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Andrew Kirkwood expressed hope that this step will provide a new impetus to Myanmar’s peace process and effectively bring an end to fighting during this period and beyond.

The move, which is the first truce ever initiated by the military, did not include the western military command which includes Rakhine state where the military has engaged fighting with both Buddhist and Rohingya Muslim insurgents.