He arrived in the Buddhist pilgrimage town of Gaya on Saturday where he visited the Mahabodhi Temple, the most sacred of Buddhist shrines, Daijokyo Buddhist Temple and Myanmar Buddhist Vihara. For the first time since the civil war started, he said, Myanmar has a popularly elected leader, Aung San Suu Kyi who commands respect. “This will require goodwill on all sides, and a recognition that success is in the vital interest of all the people of Myanmar, regardless of ethnicity, religion, political affiliation or socio-economic status”. “We just want equal rights and to live together and collaborate like brothers”.
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Representatives from the Myanmar government, the military, armed ethnic groups, and political parties attend the first day of the Panglong Conference in Naypyidaw, Aug. 31, 2016.
“Here [in the national capital Naypyidaw] they are talking about peace”.
This is Htin Kyaw’s first overseas trip after assuming charge of the top office almost five months back following the landslide victory of Suu Kyi’s party.
The government, along with many Burmese, consider the Rohingya to be illegal Bangladeshi migrants.
Modi said India’s engagement with Myanmar supported projects in connectivity, infrastructure, capacity building education, healthcare and many other sectors. In a move clearly calculated to address such concerns, Suu Kyi recently announced the appointment of Kofi Annan, Ban’s predecessor as United Nations secretary general, to head a commission to investigate sectarian problems in Rakhine.
“The situation is complex (in Rakhine) and the government has assured me of their commitment to address the roots of the problem”, Ban said.
Fresh fighting between ethnic minority rebels and Myanmar’s military is overshadowing an upcoming peace conference led by Aung San Suu Kyi’s new civilian government, people involved in the talks said Tuesday.
Suu Kyi has followed in her father’s footsteps with similar pledges to form a federalist state – though she has never spelt out the details.
This message was both in context of bilateral ties, as well as in the regional context of providing counterpoise to the increasing influence of China in Myanmar’s affairs, which often makes Myanmarese citizens and leaders wary and nervous.
At least 21 ethnic armed groups exist in Myanmar today, and clashes between them and the military continue.
Casting a shadow over the summit is a recent flare up in fighting in the country’s north and ongoing clashes in the north east.
All armed ethnic groups, which have tens of thousands of fighters between them, were invited and most are attending. The three groups have refused, citing continuous pressure from the military.
“For the moment it is hard for any group to believe or trust the army”, said one negotiator for the armed rebels, who asked not to be named as the talks are sensitive.
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He said the marginalised Muslim ethnic group, who are not officially recognised by Myanmar, “deserve hope”. “I have told the President that we are willing to substantially scale up our supply of power”, the PM said, adding that both sides have also agreed to work towards a long-term and a mutually beneficial arrangement for trade in pulses. They told him that they had made contact with their headquarters in Panghsang and would await a decision from the UWSA leadership before rejoining.
