Although no new major agreements were made during the latest peace talks between Myanmar’s armed ethnic Brotherhood Alliance and the junta, an unconfirmed report claims the two sides made several commitments.
The fourth round of talks, held from Feb. 29 to March 1, followed up on Beijing-brokered negotiations in January that resulted in a ceasefire in northern Shan State, which borders China.
The alliance – comprising the Arakan Army (AA), Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) – has seized more than a dozen towns and the border trade zone in northern Shan State after launching its 1027 offensive in October.
An unconfirmed Chinese report circulating online just after last week’s meeting in Kunming said the two sides also discussed the potential for a ceasefire in Rakhine State, where junta troops are battling advancing AA forces. The report claimed the meeting resulted in the following five commitments:
- Politically, the Myanmar military acknowledges the legitimacy of the original Shan State Special Region 1 represented by the Myanmar National Truth Justice Party and its armed wing, the MNDAA.
- To consolidate peace, frontline troops from all sides will withdraw from currently occupied territories to avoid conflict.
- All parties shall ensure China’s interests in Myanmar are not harmed.
- Both sides to ensure the smooth transportation of people and goods in their respective regions.
- Junta departments such as customs, trade, and immigration will be stationed in the Chin Shwe Haw border trade zone to represent national sovereignty, and shall form a joint office with the Chinese side and the Shan State Special Region 1 government. The customs tariff will be shared, with 70 percent going to the Special Region 1 government and 30 percent to the regime. Discussions on the Muse border trade zone are pending.
Both the regime and the ethnic alliance said they had agreed not to disclose agreements reached at the latest meeting.
Junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun on Monday dismissed the reports of commitments made during the latest talks, calling them rumors.
Speaking via regime media mouthpieces, he insisted that territorial integrity would be strongly maintained and that the regime would continue to work to secure a ceasefire and stability at the border. Management of border crossings and trade would remain under the control of the junta and Chinese government, he added. The regime would also ensure China’s interests in Myanmar are protected. The two countries would continue to work to eradicate the drug trade and cybercrimes.
Zaw Min Tun also expressed gratitude to the Chinese government for organizing the peace talks.
On Monday, AA deputy commander-in-chief Brigadier General Nyo Tun Aung confirmed the ethnic alliance had held a new round of talks with the junta but said no deal was reached for a ceasefire in Rakhine. He added some of the claimed meeting commitments circulating online are not true.
Nyo Tun Aung said topics discussed at the talks included sustaining the Shan State ceasefire, border-trade operations, and eradicating the border cyberscam industry, but he declined to offer further details.
The deputy AA leader confirmed the China-mediated ceasefire only covers AA forces in northern Shan State.
“It’s only for our troops in northern Shan State and has nothing to do with the AA in Rakhine,” he said.
On Monday, the regime declared martial law in northern Shan’s Mantong, Namhsan and Namtu townships, triggering expectations of a counterattack to seize them back from TNLA control.
