Myanmar peace talks falter over secession fears

Naypyidaw, May 28: Talks to end decades of bitter civil war in Myanmar have faltered, a government spokesman warned on Sunday, blaming rebel demands for greater autonomy, which the military fears could break the country up.

The civilian-led government of Aung San Suu Kyi has made striking a peace deal a key pillar of her administration, but fighting has instead intensified, with tens of thousands displaced by conflict.

With only a day to go before the end of the second round of peace talks under her watch, officials said little headway had been made on the federalism or increased autonomy that are key demands for ethnic minority groups.

“There will be a less good result than people are hoping for,” Zaw Htay, spokesman for the President’s office, told reporters, adding “we did not get agreement on the matter of seceding”. “People, the military and the government have worries that the union (of Myanmar) will split into pieces if we do not have that commitment.”

Secession is a red line for Myanmar’s army, with “unity” an oft-repeated mantra of the military, which ruled Myanmar with an iron fist for nearly half a century and still retains huge power.

Myanmar, scarred by some of the world’s longestrunning civil wars, has dozens of ethnic minorities, mainly in a horseshoe of impoverished mountainous border regions.

Zaw Htay said negotiators discussed 21 points dealing with political issues, but only found agreement on 12 — an illustration of how little consensus had been reached.