Myanmar insurgents call ceasefire after Chinese pressure for peace

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A Myanmar rebel army has declared a ceasefire in its war against the military, the second insurgent force in days to cite pressure from neighboring China for its willingness to talk peace.

The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, or MNDAA, which has been fighting for years for autonomy for the Kokang region on northeastern Myanmar’s border with China, said it would send a delegation to talks with the military to resolve differences through political means.

“From today onwards, our troops will cease fire immediately and will not launch an offensive against military council troops,” the MNDAA said in a statement released on Tuesday.

“We hope that related issues, including Lashio, can be resolved by way of discussion under mediation efforts through China,” the group said, referring to the main town in northern Shan state, which the MNDAA has controlled since driving out junta forces in early August.

The group cited military airstrikes against civilians as contributing to its decision to talk, adding it would defend its territory, suggesting it was intent on self-determination.

Radio Free Asia tried to contact the junta’s main spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, for comment but he did not reply.

The MNDAA is part of an insurgent grouping called the Three Brotherhood Alliance, which went on the offensive in October last year and made stunning gains against forces of the junta that seized power in a 2021 coup.

Another member of the alliance, the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, or TNLA, which is also based in Shan state, announced on Nov. 26 that, given China’s efforts to end hostilities, it was ready to talk to the junta.

The third member of the alliance, the Arakan Army, is fighting for self-determination in Rakhine state in western Myanmar, where it has made more gains against the military this week.

China has managed to broker short-lived ceasefires between the insurgent allies and the military before but they collapsed.

China has extensive economic interests in Myanmar including energy pipelines and mining projects and is keen to see an end to the violent turmoil that has engulfed its southern neighbour since the military overthrew an elected government in 2021.

China backs the military but also maintains contacts with rebel forces, particularly those based on its border. It has been calling on all sides to talk while pressuring the insurgents by closing the border and cutting off essential supplies such as fuel.

China’s blockade has led to surging prices in areas under rebel control.

The MNDAA said last month that China had detained its leader, Peng Daxun, as part of its camping to pressure the group but China denied that, saying he was in China for medical treatment.

Dr Hla Kyaw Zaw, a a China-based analyst on Myanmar affairs, attributed the latest ceasefire to mounting pressure from China rather than a genuine desire to negotiate, saying that a truce could be short-lived if the MNDAA’s calls for autonomy were dismissed.

“The MNDAA is saying after the ceasefire, they’ll engage in discussions, to have their own basic territory and permission to establish it,” she said.

“If they don’t get it, they’ll pick up arms.”

Translated by Kiana Duncan. Edited by RFA Staff.