China says warring parties, ruling junta in Myanmar reach cease-fire agreement

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - China on Thursday said the warring parties in its southern neighbor Myanmar have reached a cease-fire agreement with the ruling junta.

With Beijing’s mediation effort, China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said: “Myanmar’s military recently held peace talks with the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, the Ta’ang National Liberation Army and the Arakan Army in China and reached agreement on a number of arrangements, including the temporary ceasefire and maintaining the momentum of dialogue.”

Mao said the conflict in northern Myanmar has been “notably deescalating, which not only serves the interest of relevant parties in Myanmar but also helps ensure peace and tranquility at the China-Myanmar border area,” read a transcript of the ministry's daily news conference.

At least three ethnic armed groups, which have united under the so-called Brotherhood Alliance, are fighting the junta regime to take control in northern parts of Myanmar since late October.

The groups are attacking junta forces, which rule the Buddhist-majority Southeast Asian nation, capturing many towns and junta outposts.

Many people have been reported killed during the attacks.

“China supports the peace process of the northern Myanmar,” Mao told reporters in Beijing.

She added: “China hopes that relevant parties in Myanmar can speed up efforts to implement what has been agreed, exercise maximum restraint, and actively ease the situation on the ground.”

According to the UN, the fighting in the Southeast Asian nation had escalated since late October, “expanding from northern Shan State to Rakhine State, as well as the northwest and southeast.”

“More than half a million people have been newly internally displaced by the violence. This is on top of the two million people who were already internally displaced,” said the UN Humanitarian office early this month.