Latest news with #MyanmarConflict
Free Malaysia Today
3 days ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Malaysia invites Myanmar conflict groups for dialogue in KL
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Asean leaders have continued to push for an extended ceasefire and the protection of all humanitarian aid workers. (EPA Images pic) SINGAPORE : Malaysia has taken the initiative to invite different groups in the Myanmar conflict for a dialogue in Kuala Lumpur in a bid to find a lasting solution to the ongoing crisis, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said today. He said the invitation was extended to the groups last month, Bernama reported. 'I've started (the talks) and I urge my counterparts to send their teams, officials and military intelligence personnel to continue to engage,' he said during a question-and-answer session following his special address at the Shangri-La Dialogue here. When asked about the possibility of elections in Myanmar, Anwar said the immediate priority is to ensure peace, security and the delivery of humanitarian aid. He noted that Asean leaders have continued to push for an extended ceasefire and the protection of all humanitarian aid workers. 'If the elections are fair and more inclusive and do not exclude parties, then, of course, we are ready to accept, although (the process) may not be perfect,' he added. Myanmar's State Administration Council announced in March that they will hold a general election either in December this year or January 2026 at the latest, according to international media reports.
Al Jazeera
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Malaysia wants Myanmar ceasefire extended amid ASEAN ban on coup leaders
Malaysia has urged for the extension and expansion of a post-earthquake ceasefire in Myanmar due to run out by the end of May, as ongoing fighting calls into question its effectiveness. Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan issued the call in a meeting with fellow Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, a day before the leaders' summit. The regional bloc has so far led fruitless diplomatic efforts to end Myanmar's conflict since the military staged a coup and deposed civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021. Myanmar's failure to implement a five-point peace deal reached in April 2021 has led ASEAN to exclude the coup leaders from attending its annual meeting. 'We call on the stakeholders in Myanmar to cease hostilities, and to extend and expand the ceasefire, to facilitate the long and difficult path towards recovery, and ease the suffering of the people of Myanmar,' Mohamad said in his opening remarks. He proposed that the ceasefire be extended and expanded 'beyond the currently affected zones'. Malaysia currently holds the rotating chairmanship of ASEAN. Mohamad earlier said the bloc has to step up efforts as Myanmar's problems had spilled over borders, with a growing number of refugees fleeing to neighbouring ASEAN nations and rising trans-border crime. Malaysia's efforts now focus on de-escalation of violence and greater access to humanitarian aid, but he said plans for political dialogue between the conflicting parties would be challenging due to a 'trust deficit'. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing-led military government initially declared a truce in the many-sided civil war after a massive earthquake in late March killed nearly 3,800 people and left tens of thousands homeless. The truce has been extended before, although conflict monitors say fighting has continued, including regular military government air attacks. In April, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim met Min Aung Hlaing in Bangkok and urged him to respect the truce. Anwar said after the meeting that ASEAN had expressed 'concern' and wanted to slowly build consensus to ensure 'fair and free elections' – something analysts have said will be difficult, if not impossible, to achieve. ASEAN's longstanding policy of noninterference in the domestic affairs of its member states has also hampered it from helping resolve the conflict. The United Nations and independent conflict monitors say the military government has continued its deadly campaign of aerial bombardment despite the armistice. In mid-May, witnesses said, a military air attack hit a school near the earthquake's epicentre in Sagaing region, killing 22 people, including 20 children. Numerous anti-coup and ethnic armed groups have made their own pledges to pause hostilities. However, some residents in eastern Myanmar said they have been displaced as anti-coup forces have also besieged military-held towns on a lucrative trade route towards neighbouring Thailand. Myanmar's military government has announced plans to hold an election around the end of the year. But the opposition 'National Unity Government' has urged the public and political parties to boycott any poll organised by the military government.
Reuters
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Thailand to press for broader international engagement with Myanmar junta
BANGKOK, May 23 (Reuters) - Thailand will advocate more international engagement with Myanmar at an upcoming Southeast Asia leader summit next week, its foreign minister said, in a push for international cooperation to broaden a diplomatic effort to end a protracted civil war. Myanmar has been in the throes of an expanding conflict since its military ousted an elected civilian-led government in 2021, with fighting between the junta and a network of rebel forces displacing more than 3.5 million people and decimating what was once a promising frontier market economy. A 2021 peace plan created by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations had until recently made barely any progress but ASEAN's chair, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, has made a renewed push for dialogue, including separate talks with junta chief Min Aung Hlaing and the rival National Unity Government. Thailand's Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa in an interview backed Anwar's efforts, which focused initially on trying to secure a ceasefire extension to facilitate humanitarian assistance following a devastating March earthquake that killed more than 3,800 people. "A ceasefire is an important first step, but it cannot be one-sided," Maris told Reuters. "We need to be able to bring various issues to the table for constructive dialogue and doing so without putting pressure on things." But since Anwar's talks last month, the military has continued its campaign against rebels, including in areas where the quake struck, with multiple airstrikes and artillery assaults, as reported by Reuters. Maris said clear steps on the peace initiative needed to be mapped out at meetings in Kuala Lumpur starting this weekend. Myanmar's civil war has also exacerbated transnational crime, including the proliferation of scam compounds that the United Nations says have ensnared hundreds of thousands of people in illegal online operations that generate billions of dollars annually. Maris said broad international cooperation in tackling that would help the peace initiative since it would bring all major groups to the table, including ethnic minority armies. "If there is no resolution to the conflict in Myanmar then transnational crime could not be addressed, the two issues are linked," he added. Myanmar's generals have been hit by sanctions and ostracised by Western powers over the coup and allegations of systematic atrocities against the civilian population, which they deny. The junta's international engagement has been limited to Russia and its neighbours, including China. Maris said Thailand would provide more long-term assistance to Myanmar, including in education and healthcare, while using international platforms to promote engagement with the country. "We are looking at this not only in helping to address short-term needs but also long term," he said, adding engagement, would help foster dialogue that could lead to peace. "We want to change negative thinking that is not productive."
CNA
12-05-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Myanmar opposition says junta airstrike kills 17 school children
Myanmar's shadow government said an airstrike by the ruling junta had killed at least 17 students and injured 20 others at a school in an opposition-controlled area on Monday (May 12), despite a ceasefire being in place after a devastating earthquake. The school, which is operated by the shadow National Unity Government, is in the central Myanmar town of Depayin in the Sagaing region, about 160km north of Mandalay and not far from the epicentre of the Mar 28 earthquake. "According to the information we have so far, 17 students have been killed and 20 injured," NUG spokesperson Nay Phone Latt said. "Some may have been missing due to bomb damage, so the death toll could be higher." Myanmar has been gripped by conflict since the military used lethal force to suppress protests against its return to power in a 2021 coup. The military has been struggling to govern and has lost ground in its battle to stem a rebellion by ethnic minority armies and a resistance movement affiliated with the NUG. A spokesperson for the junta declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. Last week, the junta said it was extending a post-quake ceasefire to May 31. It had initially announced the ceasefire in early April, days after the earthquake, to support relief efforts, following similar moves by anti-junta armed groups. Military airstrikes and artillery attacks have continued in some parts of Myanmar despite the ceasefire announcement. The NUG includes remnants of the elected administration deposed by the military in the coup and other anti-junta groups.
Al Arabiya
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Myanmar opposition says junta killed at least 17 in school airstrike
Myanmar's shadow government said an airstrike by the ruling junta had killed at least 17 students and injured 20 others at a school in an opposition-controlled area on Monday, despite a ceasefire being in place after a devastating earthquake. The school, which is operated by the shadow National Unity Government, is in the central Myanmar town of Depayin in the Sagaing region, about 160 km (100 miles) north of Mandalay and not far from the epicenter of the March 28 earthquake. 'According to the information we have so far, 17 students have been killed and 20 injured,' NUG spokesperson Nay Phone Latt said. 'Some may have been missing due to bomb damage, so the death toll could be higher,' NUG spokesperson Nay Phone Latt said. Myanmar has been gripped by conflict since the military used lethal force to suppress protests against its return to power in a 2021 coup. The military has been struggling to govern and has lost ground in its battle to stem a rebellion by ethnic minority armies and a resistance movement affiliated with the NUG. A spokesperson for the junta declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. Last week, the junta said it was extending a post-quake ceasefire to May 31. It had initially announced the ceasefire in early April, days after the earthquake, to support relief efforts, following similar moves by anti-junta armed groups. Military airstrikes and artillery attacks have continued in some parts of Myanmar despite the ceasefire announcement. The NUG includes remnants of the elected administration deposed by the military in the coup and other anti-junta groups.
