Military regime extends nominal ceasefire with ethnic armed groups until end of 2023

01 Jan 2023

DMG Newsroom
1 January 2023, Sittwe

Myanmar’s military regime on December 31 extended a unilateral ceasefire agreement with the country’s ethnic armed groups until the end of 2023, a declaration that will likely have no practical effect as the military has done little to show restraint after declaring the initial ceasefire and subsequent extensions.

The junta said in a statement that it would cease fighting from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023, except for cases in which defence, security and administrative mechanisms are obstructed.

The statement said the essence of democracy and the essence of independence can be fully enjoyed only after internal armed conflicts are resolved.

After inviting ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) for peace talks on April 22, 2022, junta chief Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing held talks with representatives of 10 EAOs, it noted.

The military regime is continuing the peace process and will develop peace paths based on the 2008 Constitution and the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), the statement reads.

The military regime urged the organisations and other stakeholders involved in the peace process to make all-out efforts to hold peace talks during the purported cessation of military activities.

It has been nearly two years since Myanmar’s military overthrew the civilian government led by the National League for Democracy (NLD) on February 1, 2021, and seized power, triggering a backlash among anti-coup, pro-democracy forces that continues to this day.

Since the coup, 2,688 people were killed and 16,704 people have been arrested by the junta’s security forces, according to data compiled by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) on December 30.

Fierce fighting between the military and Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and Karen National Union (KNU) have been ongoing in Kachin and Kayin (Karen) states. Clashes between the military and anti-regime groups formed in response to the coup are also frequently reported across Myanmar.

After months of fighting that began in earnest in August, the Arakan Army observed an informal ceasefire with the Myanmar military in late November on humanitarian grounds.