Peace process in Burma/Myanmar

Abstract

After the general elections under a new constitution in 2010 and the dissolution of the military junta in 2011, signs of a gradual opening up of Burma/Myanmar can be perceived. However, the political, social and economic issues at the heart of country’s conflict will not be easily resolved. The most significant challenges are to ‘broaden’ and ‘deepen’ the peace process and to bring fighting to an end in northern Kachin State. Since assuming office in the second quarter of 2011, the military-backed government in Myanmar has initiated a series of reforms, constituting the most significant changes since the military takeover of 1962. These include the negotiation of initial ceasefires with 10 of the 11 most prominent non-state armed groups (NSAGs) in the country. However, intense fighting continues to rage in northern Burma/Myanmar between government forces and the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO), following the breakdown of an earlier ceasefire dating from 1994.