China Announces Myanmar Junta And Rebels Agree To Ceasefire

UNSPLASH/aboo ILLUSTRATION IN VESARAN

JAKARTA - The junta regime in Myanmar and rebels have signed a ceasefire agreement.

An "official ceasefire agreement came into effect on Jan. 18, Beijing time, leading to an immediate cessation of hostilities," Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning told reporters in the Chinese capital, Beijing, reported by ANTARA, Monday, January 20.

The ceasefire was signed by the junta and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance (MNDAA) during the seventh round of peace negotiations in Kunming, the capital of southern Yunnan province in China.

"Both parties expressed their gratitude to China for their efforts to facilitate the results of successful negotiations," said Mao.

The de-escalation of the situation in northern Myanmar is "in line with the common interests of all parties in Myanmar and countries in the region, which contribute to the security, stability and development of China-Myanmar border areas," he added.

North Myanmar has seen intense clashes in recent months, resulting in thousands of people displaced.

Separately, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has appointed Malaysian diplomat Othman Hashim as a special envoy to Myanmar.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan announced the appointment of Othman on Sunday (19/1) after chairing a meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers.

Othman is ASEAN's fifth special envoy to Myanmar since the February 2021 military coup that sparked a political and humanitarian crisis in the country.

During their meeting, the ASEAN member state foreign ministers also upheld the decision of their leaders to ban junta generals from participating in the ASEAN summit and foreign ministers' gatherings.

Immediately after the February 2021 coup launched by the Myanmar military, known as the Tatmadaw, ASEAN issued a plan for the Five-Point Consensus, or 5PC, when Brunei was at the helm of the regional bloc, to normalize the political situation.

This includes building trust and confidence to create dialogue among all interested parties, ending violence and easing the suffering of the population.

Since the coup, 28,096 people have been arrested on political charges, with 21,499 people still being held.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners reports that at least 6,106 civilians have been killed by security forces, although this excludes casualties from ongoing fighting.

Pewarta : Cindy Frishanti Octavia