Rebel groups in Myanmar have rejected a peace offer from the country’s military junta, which is facing significant battlefield losses and defections in a civil war that has raged for over three years since the 2021 coup.
The junta’s unprecedented outreach called on ethnic armed groups and “terrorist insurgent groups” to “communicate with us to solve political problems politically” and urged them to participate in planned elections next year. However, the exiled National Unity Government (NUG) dismissed the offer, stating the junta lacks the authority to hold elections.
Key rebel groups expressed skepticism towards the junta’s proposal. The Karen National Union (KNU), which has long fought for autonomy along the Thai border, outlined conditions for talks including no military participation in future politics, agreement to a federal democratic constitution, and accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Maung Saungkha, leader of the Bamar People’s Liberation Army, told Reuters his group is “not interested in this offer.” Soe Thu Ya Zaw, commander of the Mandalay People’s Defense Forces, likened the offer to “hanging goat’s heads but selling dog meat” in a Facebook post.
The junta’s peace overture comes as it struggles to maintain control, with some reports suggesting it now holds less than half of Myanmar’s territory. Recent offensives by ethnic armies have disrupted China’s economic corridor plans in the region, potentially prompting diplomatic pressure from Beijing.
Since the 2021 coup that ousted Myanmar’s democratically-elected government, the country has plunged into civil war. The United Nations estimates at least 50,000 people have been killed and over two million displaced. Last week, the UN warned that Myanmar was “sinking into an abyss of human suffering.”
As the conflict continues, the rejection of the junta’s peace offer underscores the deep-seated mistrust between Myanmar’s military rulers and ethnic armed organizations, as well as the ongoing demand for democratic reforms and accountability for human rights abuses.
