Irrawaddy-Dec 29
Representatives of seven of Myanmar’s ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) met the new Chinese special envoy to Myanmar, Deng Xijun, in China’s Yunnan Province in the last week of December, according to the EAOs. On Wednesday, Deng Xijun reportedly arrived in the Myanmar capital Naypyitaw after meeting the EAOs, which are all based in northern Myanmar. Neither the military regime nor Beijing have commentated on the meeting as yet. China’s new envoy met separately with representatives of the United Wa State Army (UWSA), the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA), the Shan State Progress Party (SSPP), the Arakan Army (AA), the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA).
Three of the EAOs – the KIA, TNLA, and MNDAA – are actively fighting the regime. The KIA is based in Kachin State in northern Myanmar, while the TNLA and MNDAA are based in northeast Myanmar’s Shan State. The Rakhine-based AA has been observing an informal ceasefire with the junta on humanitarian grounds since late November, after months of intense fighting. UWSA liaison officer Nyi Rang, based in Shan State’s Lashio, told The Irrawaddy: “Yes we met with him [China’s envoy], but just to make introductions. There was no discussion on particular issues.” “The meeting was just to introduce ourselves. There was nothing special. The special envoy repeated that China’s policy is that it wants stability at the border and does not want to see fighting, that it is wrong to start fighting, that China does not support reciprocal fighting, that fighting is not the right solution to problems, and that China is concerned that fighting will make it more difficult to achieve internal peace. Read more at: https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/chinas-new-special-envoy-to-myanmar-meets-ethnic-armed-organizations
