Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has invited ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) in the country to peace talks for the third time since April.
In a televised address on Monday about the extension of an emergency rule declaration for another six months, the regime leader said he would hold a second round of dialogue with EAOs that he has previously met with, and also invited remaining EAOs to join face-to-face talks with him.
“I request you to join the talks if you really desire to serve the interests of your region and your people,” Min Aung Hlaing said in his televised remarks.
Calling 2022 the “Year of Peace”, the junta chief originally invited EAO leaders to talks on April 22. He made a second invitation on June 14, promising to build a better country and economy in the interests of Myanmar and its people.
The peace overtures have previously fallen flat with some of the nation’s largest ethnic armed groups, however, who point out that regime rule has included unprecedented economic, political and social turmoil in the months since the military seized power in a February 2021 coup.
“Please come officially forward onto the political stage. We keep the door wide open to discuss these things. Please come forward boldly,” said Min Aung Hlaing, who has put thousands of dissidents behind bars since the putsch.
Political observers have said peace talks will not be successful unless and until the civilian National Unity Government (NUG) and People’s Defense Force (PDF), which the regime has labelled terrorist organisations, are invited to the talks.
Veteran Arakanese politician U Pe Than said the Arakan Army (AA) ethnic armed group is not likely to hold talks with the regime due to escalating military tensions and fresh clashes in Arakan State over recent weeks.
“The AA has not attended the previous peace talks. On the other hand, it has held talks with the NUG. At this point, the AA can’t find any peaceful solution with the regime, I think,” he said.
AA spokesman U Khaing Thukha said the armed group has no trust in the regime due to its arbitrary arrests of civilians in Arakan.
“What they are doing in Arakan State is just the complete opposite of what they call ‘2022 as the year of peace.’ Their actions undermine peace and trust,” said the AA spokesman.
Political analyst U Than Soe Naing said the junta-proposed peace talks are meaningless unless the NUG and PDF are also invited to the dialogue.
“The clashes between the Myanmar military and the combined forces of the PDF and non-signatories of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement [NCA] are some of the fiercest in Myanmar’s civil war to date. Calling them terrorist organisations and excluding them from dialogue is not a sensible solution for Myanmar’s peace process,” he said.
NCA signatories including the Arakan Liberation Army, the Restoration Council of Shan State, the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army, the New Mon State Army, and the Pa-O National Liberation Organization, and NCA non-signatories including the United Wa State Army and the National Democratic Alliance Army, have held talks with Min Aung Hlaing.
The Shan State Progress Party (SSPP) has agreed to meet with junta leaders but has not yet held talks due to rising military tensions between the two sides after the SSPP refused the junta’s request to remove its bases in southern Shan State’s Mong Hsu.
