RANGOON — Civil society organizations, activists, students and tourists joined a demonstration on Saturday to demand an end to the fighting between the Burma Army and ethnic armed groups in the north and northeastern areas of the country.
In Rangoon, the Popular Movement for Peace was joined by more than 500 participants who marched across the city before ending in front of City Hall.
They shouted anti-war slogans while holding placards that said “Stop War.”
The same event was also held in Mon State’s capital Mawlamyein, and Bago, Pyay and Nattalin towns in Bago Division.
Demonstrators in Rangoon demanded four points including an end to the fighting, access to aid war victims, a reduction in military expenditure, and an army announcement of a nationwide ceasefire.
Until recently, Burma has seen fighting in Kachin and northeastern Shan states, where ethnic armed groups in the areas have long been fighting for equality, self determination and federalism while government troops claim they are fighting to protect regional stability.
