ASIA/MYANMAR - Peace initiative towards ethnic minorities is about to start: a national conference is being prepared

Yangon (Agenzia Fides) - It is a "courageous, initiative, with a potential to solve the devastating civil war with ethnic groups, which has been going on for 60 years", this is how the International Crisis Group (ICG) think-tank based in Brussels, defines the renewed approach of President Thein Sein’s government. After launching a series of social, economic and political reforms, the new government of Myanmar - informs the ICG in a statement which was sent to Fides - "has recognized the importance of the ethnic situation and pledged to make it a national priority".
The ICG has released its latest report on Myanmar titled "A new peace initiative". In the document, sent to Fides, progress has been recognized concerning a number of agreements reached with some armed ethnic groups, and examines the possibility of "a sustainable end" to the ethnic conflicts that disturb the country.
A key aspect is that the government has dropped the "preconditions" such as to convert the armies of the "rebel groups" to "border guards". The government also offers a "national conference" to seek political solutions to ethnic divisions. A multiethnic, multilingual and multireligious country like Myanmar "can only achieve true national unity and reconciliation, embracing its diversity", the ICG noted.
The path to peace is still uneven: the grievances of ethnic minorities are deep and ancient as the independence of Burma, reached in 1948. The military regime came to power in 1988, it had temporarily neutralized the conflicts in border areas, signing a series of agreements. Such agreements, which could have been a historic watershed, did not work and collapsed when the military government tried to incorporate with force the ethnic armies in a border guard.
To start a real path of reconciliation, the ICG noted "we must address the grievances and aspirations of all minorities, guaranteeing equal rights, social-economic support, greater regional autonomy and trust among communities". In this process, the international community has an important role to play in supporting peace and development in Myanmar. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 01/12/2011)