Things in Myanmar are picking up again with the election that elected Aung San Suu Kyi and her party, the National League for Democracy, forty-three of the seats of the government on Sunday, April 1st. There had been issues with her trying to obtain some power in the government because her political movement is somewhat allied with the ideas of the ethnic groups that are in conflict with the Burmese. However, being elected along with member of her party and their forty-three house seats has moved ethnic rebel groups to be willing to reopen cease-fire talks with the government.
President Thein Sein has been and is still seeking cease-fires with ethnic rebel groups and I believe that the main reason that these cease-fire agreements have been reopened is because the National League for Democracy finally has a say in government politics for the first time. The cease -fires are part of the political reform that Thein Sein is trying to put forth in Myanmar.
The Karen National Union (KAU) says that two sides met Wednesday (April 4th) near the rebel headquarters on the Thai border where they discussed possibly setting up a "code of conduct" for maintaining the cease-fire agreements. They also discussed having a team that would monitor the agreement and manage it.
Most of the ethnic groups that are having issues with the government simply ask that they be allowed more autonomy in order to ensure that the peace will continue. Despite the fighting between the Kachin and the Burmese Army that continues on in the North, the KAU wants peace among the people just like president Thein Sein.
After being under military rule for such a long time, I believe that it is more than understandable that the minority ethnic groups in Myanmar want to be recognized in government and politics. In order to have a democracy, ideally all the people in the country should have equal rights, but that is not always the case. The government seems to be dragging their feet in order to allow these groups more autonomy and I'm still not really understanding why. I think that it may have something to do with how the government keeps order, but recognizing that these groups exist is the only first step that they can take in order to move closer to ending the violence in the country. Now that the National League of Democracy has major power in the government, I foresee more positive change in the future for Myanmar and allowing the NLD to have power is definitely a step in the right direction.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/myanmars-most-enduring-rebels-embark-on-new-round-of-cease-fire-talks-with-government/2012/04/04/gIQAVfWhuS_story.html
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