A rebel alliance in northern Myanmar has agreed to a ceasefire with the ruling military in talks brokered by China.
The military toppled Myanmar’s government in 2021. Since late October, they have been battling an alliance of ethnic minority armies fighting to end control over their regions.
The standoff has taken place along the northern border with China. The alliance’s joint offensive has raised concerns in China about possible disruptions to border trade and an influx of refugees.
A leader of one rebel group, the TNLA, reported Friday that the Three Brotherhood Alliance and the military had agreed to “cease fire without advancing further.”
“From the (alliance) side, the agreement is to refrain from offensive attacks on enemy camps or towns. From the military side, the agreement is not to engage in attacks through airstrikes, bombardment, or heavy weapons.”
China’s Foreign Ministry reported that peace talks were held in the Chinese city of Kunming on January 10-11, with “the two sides agreed to immediately cease fire and stop the war.” Both parties also pledged not to harm residents along the Chinese border, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning stated.
China hopes that all parties concerned in Myanmar will earnestly implement the ceasefire agreement already reached and exercise maximum restraint.
According to the United Nations, more than 300,000 people have been displaced from their homes by the recent violence, bringing the total number of people displaced by the conflict to more than 2 million.
