Myanmar peace talks with ethnic groups vital: US ambassador

NAY PYI TAW, Feb 4, 2020, NST. Myanmar needs to continue pursuing peace and settle political differences with armed ethnic groups, United States ambassador to Myanmar Scot Marciel said, New Straits Times reported.

The peace process is complicated, but the Myanmar government and the many armed ethnic groups must consistently bring their differences to the negotiating table, he said according to The Myanmar Times.

Marciel said on its part, the US could help and share ideas, especially on the issue of federalism.

“We always encourage people to sit down and talk, and try to understand the grievances of the other side because I think that’s really important,” he said here recently.

Marciel added that while the people negotiating were “men with guns”, those who suffered the most were innocent civilians.

Myanmar has had over 70 years of armed conflict between the central government and more than 20 armed ethnic groups.

To make it worse, there were times when the ethnic groups fought each other.

Under former president U Thein Sein, the Myanmar government had put in place a nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) signed by 10 armed ethnic groups in 2015.

The government has continuously held formal peace talks with the NCA signatories, but some of their differences and conflicts remain.

Last year, the talks hit an impasse over key issues related to the establishment of a democratic federal union.

At the same time, the government is still fighting groups that were not signatories to the NCA.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said over 100,000 people had been displaced in Kachin and Shan states since fighting broke out between the military and Kachin Independence Army in 2011.

In Rakhine State, there are claims that more than 37,000 people have been displaced by fighting between the Arakan Army and military.