Photo by Steve Evans
In May, the Myanmar government held a peace talk with ethnic minority groups in the country. They hoped to find common ground between the military and the minority groups that were trying to defend themselves.
Per Fox News, “Representatives from Myanmar’s ethic rebel groups and the government gathered in the capital on Wednesday for peace talks aimed at ending decades of ethnic rebellions in the country.”
This was the second attempt at a peace talk. The first one was held by the National League of Democracy in August 2016. Many leaders around the world held this meeting in great optimism, thinking it might bring Myanmar closer to peace.
Al Jazeera reports, “The previous round of negotiations, which took place in August 2016 and was organised by the Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD), was welcomed with great optimism by many, including the then United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.”
There has been little done from the government on behalf of these ethnic groups to better their situation.
The Straits Times explains, “But more than a year after the Nobel laureate became the head of Myanmar’s first freely elected government in generations, little progress has been made on her flagship policy.”
The conflict between the military and the ethnic minorities has lasted for seven decades. The current government led by Aung San Suu Kyi has high expectations from the international community to put an end to the war.
Fox News reports, “Myanmar’s de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, faces high expectations from ethnic groups and the international community to end conflicts between ethnic armed groups and the army that have lasted for nearly seven decades.”
Representatives of seven minority military groups came to the peace deal after weeks of negotiations that didn’t work.
Per Al Jazeera, “Among the groups attending the talks as ‘special guests’ are seven that have refused to sign up to the government-backed ceasefire.”
Many of those in the ethnic minorities have accused Suu Kyi of working too closely with the military, which has caused all the violence.
The Strait Times states, “Many armed groups have complained that Suu Kyi has not listened to their concerns and is working too closely with the military, which ran the country with an iron fist for almost half a century and widely loathed by rebel groups.”
OMF works in Myanmar to provide Christ’s hope to the people there. Despite the country being isolated, the church is rapidly growing.
OMF explains, “Though there has been significant progress in the past year, Myanmar [Burma] isolated itself from the rest of the world for many years. The church in Myanmar, however, has continued to grow and flourish.”
Pray for a peaceful resolution to the ethnic fighting and that many would hear of Christ’s hope.
Fox News: Myanmar ethnic groups, government meet for peace talks
Al Jazeera: Myanmar’s Suu Kyi opens fresh round of peace talks
The Strait Times: Myanmar seeks to kick start stalled peace process with ethnic insurgents
