Ethnic groups are demanding the Burma Army, also called the Tatmadaw, to halt its military offensives in the country’s north, where the coalition that recently started calling itself the Three-Brotherhood Alliance is based.
The alliance that declared a unilateral ceasefire in September, claims the Tatmadaw is taking advantage of its commitment to peace to launch ground and air military operations.
On October 29, a joint statement by the Three-Brotherhood Alliance condemned the Tatmadaw’s attacks, asking it to respect the ceasefire, which is extended until the end of December.
“We want the Burma Army to stop military offensives against us,” Khine Thukha, in charge of the Arakan Army’s (AA) information department told NMG. “We want the peace process to move forward and increase trust among the different groups.”
“The Burma Army is employing excessive force in Rakhine (State), and in Ta’ang and Kokang regions, and targeting our civilians with heavy weapons,” Khine Thukha said, warning of ‘consequences’ if offensives aren’t stopped immediately.
The other members of the Three-Brotherhood Alliance are the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA).
The joint statement accused the Tatmadaw of burning villages, arresting civilians and killing civilians. “The Burma Army needs to stop it’s military operations against the Three-Brotherhood Alliance to allow for stakeholders to meet for peace negotiations,” it said.
Attempts at negotiating a bilateral ceasefire with the Tatmadaw through the Federal Political Negotiation Consultative Committee (FPNCC), which alliance members and the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO), also fighting in the country’s north, are part of have been unsuccessful.
