In April, coup leader-turned-president Min Aung Hlaing claimed to have sent invitations to both National Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) signatories and non-signatory ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) for peace talks with his new administration, but the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) said it had not yet received any such invitation.

“We haven’t received any invitation yet—neither in person nor in writing. If an invitation does come, the KIO Central Executive Committee will decide based on what is included in it. Since nothing has been received, there’s nothing to comment on at this stage,” said KIO spokesperson Colonel Naw Bu.

Members of the Peace Process Steering Team (PPST)—a group of seven NCA-signatory EAOs that still uphold the truce, namely the Karen National Union/Karen National Liberation Army-Peace Council (KNU/KNLA-PC), Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA), Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA), New Mon State Party (NMSP), Colonel Khun Okkar-led Pa-O National Liberation Organisation (PNLO) faction, the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) led by Daw Saw Mya Yarzar Lin, and the Lahu Democratic Union (LDU)—have received the junta’s invitation and are reportedly already holding informal meetings.

“Informal meetings have been taking place both in Thailand and locally. Junta delegations from Naypyidaw have also visited us in Thailand from time to time. We may be able to travel to Naypyidaw for discussions by the end of the month,” Colonel Khun Okkar, who spoke on behalf of the PPST, stated on May 7.

He further suggested that the junta should adopt new, more flexible approaches to political dialogue, rather than sticking to the old hardline policies of the past.

It is not yet possible to independently confirm whether invitations have been sent to other EAOs that are not NCA signatories or to groups currently engaged in combat against the junta.

Although Min Aung Hlaing announced an offer of peace talks as a symbolic gesture, the reality on the ground is completely contradictory, said U Aung San Myint, secretary of the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP).

“The junta has called for peace talks, but there are still daily airstrikes, drone attacks, and artillery shelling in our state and other areas. How can we sit at the peace table in such a situation? As long as the regime’s actions and statements contradict each other, it won’t work for us,” he told NMG.

Political activists and resistance forces have accused the junta’s call for peace talks of being a symbolic political ploy aimed at finding a way out of the military and political crisis it is facing.

Min Aung Hlaing, who relinquished his military post for the presidency, called for peace talks with EAOs within 100 days. However, his successor, new commander-in-chief General Ye Win Oo, has set a 100-day military objective and is accelerating operations in resistance-controlled areas across the states and regions.