Myanmar peace talks end in deadlock

YANGON: Major peace talks between the Myanmar authorities and ethnic armed groups ended in deadlock today, with officials blaming rebel demands for autonomy from central government.
State media said negotiators from the government, army and multiple ethnic armed groups agreed on 33 out of 41 points discussed during the five-day conference.
But they could not reach an agreement on the key issue of federalism, a major demand of ethnic minority groups currently locked in bitter conflicts with the army.
Fighting between government soldiers and insurgent groups is at its worst since the 1980s, with tens of thousands of refugees pushed into neighbouring China.
The military fears the union will "split into pieces" if rebels do not agree to a non-secession clause in any peace deal, government spokesman Zaw Htay told reporters on Sunday.
"We did not get agreement on the matter of seceding," he said.
"Without the commitment of the ethnic organisations for non-secession from the Union, we cannot move forward for discussing related issues such as constitution of respective states, equality and self-determination."
Further meetings are planned to break the deadlock, he added.
State counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's de-facto leader, has made ending decades-long civil war in the country a priority since taking power in 2016.
Last week's conference was the second round of major peace talks held during her rule. – dpa