Jakarta –
A number of senior officials Myanmar military recently had a meeting with the two ethnic groups Wa and Shan, which are considered the strongest in Myanmar, to strengthen ties with them.
As reported by local Myanmar media, The Irrawady, Sunday (11/4/2021) on April 7 and 8, a number of members of the Military Peace Committee went to the Matmanseng and Wan Hai areas, in northern Shan State. The visit was made to meet officials from the United Wa State Army (UWSA) and the Shan State Progressive Party (SSPP).
The visit was led by Lieutenant General Yar Pyae and Lieutenant General Aung Zaw Aye, commanders of the Special Operations Bureau.
According to The Irrawady, the visit was not only officially aimed at holding peace discussions, it was also said to encourage officials from armed groups to maintain ties with the military and explain to them the reasons behind the February 1st coup the.
Of the 18 armed ethnic groups in Myanmar, UWSA is the most powerful. They signed a ceasefire with the government in 1989.
UWSA is one of the armed ethnic groups that have remained silent regarding the coup.
Earlier, 10 of the 18 ethnic gunmen signed a National Armistice Agreement with the government and have condemned the military coup and the killing of civilian protesters.
The Myanmar junta’s visit comes after other strongly armed ethnic groups such as the Kachin Independence Army and the Karen National Union recently launched attacks on military forces to show their opposition to the killing of protesters.
U Nyi Rang, a spokesman for UWSA, said he did not participate in the meeting and could not provide details on it.
“To my knowledge, they explained why the coup happened,” he said.
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