Myanmar rebel army ready for talks with junta, backed by China

An ethnic minority army that is part of a rebel alliance fighting Myanmar’s ruling military has announced its willingness to hold talks with the junta.

An ethnic minority army that is part of a formidable rebel alliance fighting Myanmar’s ruling military has announced its willingness to hold talks with the junta after a yearlong battle along the Myanmar-China border.

The Ta’ang National Liberation Army’s (TNLA) decision, announced late on Monday, comes as powerful neighbor China puts pressure on rebels amid the rapid degeneration of the military, which Beijing has long seen as a guarantor of stability.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military ousted an elected government led by democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, setting off a resistance movement that began as peaceful protests and later evolved into an armed rebellion on multiple fronts.

In a statement on its official Telegram channel, the TNLA said it wanted a halt to the military’s airstrikes in its region of northern Shan state and expressed its desire for talks and its appreciation for China’s mediation effort.

“Our civilians are suffering from airstrikes and other difficulties. So, we need to find a way out,” TNLA spokesperson Lway Yay Oo said.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/myanmar-rebel-army-ready-talks-junta-backed-china-rcna181773

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