This is not Burma’s first experience with political dialogue. From 1962 to 1963, Gen. Ne Win of the “Revolutionary Council”, which seized power in 1962, called for peace talks with armed ethnic groups involved in combat. But when the ruling military regime pressured the armed group leaders to surrender, dialogue failed.

Later, in 1990, Burma’s intelligence chief and the then Prime Minister of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), Gen. Khin Nyunt, called for ceasefire talks with different ethnic armed groups, many of whom signed the agreements. Some of the politically motivated armed groups demanded a political dialogue with the SPDC, but it was repeatedly denied. Gen. Khin Nyunt maintained that the groups had to wait and talk with the next elected government. Many armed groups waited for decades for political dialogue.

Before the 2010 elections, the ceasefire groups were pressured by the SPDC to transform themselves into border guard or militia forces. In response, ethnic armed groups planned to fight back against the government. Once again, the ceasefire attempts were thwarted.

Now, it is commendable that the government is trying to implement the “peace process” anew. However, the continuing conflict in Kachin State creates mistrust of the government by Burma’s general public, ethnic peoples, and the international community. The government must stop the fighting in order to earn people’s confidence.

Burma’s ethnic challenges have persisted since the country’s independence in 1948. The problems cannot be solved in a few days or months. Both sides need to be tolerant and committed to peaceful resolution. The government also needs to listen to the decades-long grievances from the ethnic nationalities, and try to understand their reasons for fighting a civil war. The government must be prepared to offer equitable and comprehensive rights that meet the demands of the ethnic groups in order to form a genuine union guaranteeing ethnic, racial, and self-determination rights. This is the key to unlocking the country’s political problems.

Democratic development and peace-building are interconnected. Without peace, it is impossible for democracy to survive. War encourages the military to grip national power and block democratization. All dialogue partners including government, ethnic armed groups, mediators, and civil society need to seriously consider the intolerable continuation of conflict and commit now to building the peace they have promised.