YANGON – Myanmar’s junta leader-turned-President Min Aung Hlaing proposed peace talks with non-ceasefire opposition groups by July 31, but key rebels like the Karen National Union (KNU) and Chin National Front (CNF) dismissed the overture on April 21, deepening the nation’s civil war stalemate.
State media quoted Min Aung Hlaing, who seized power in the 2021 coup toppling Aung San Suu Kyi’s government, urging holdouts including the KNU, CNF, and All Burma Students’ Democratic Front to join discussions within 100 days. He referenced the pre-coup Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), now in limbo.
KNU spokesman Saw Taw Nee rejected reengagement, noting withdrawal post-coup and no intent to revive NCA talks. CNF’s Salai Htet Ni demanded a military-free federal democracy, scorning the “administration” as repackaged junta rule unworthy of dialogue.
The coup ignited turmoil, imprisoning 80-year-old Suu Kyi, Nobel laureate for 27 years on disputed charges; her sentence was cut by one-sixth last week. Critics slam April’s parliamentary election, which installed Min Aung Hlaing as president, as a sham to mask military dominance, recognized by few nations. Rebel defiance signals protracted conflict five years on, with no breakthrough in sight.