Peace Process Steering Team: Concert Bombing Blocking Political Dialogue

By Network Media Group
Wednesday, November 2, 2022

The Burma Peace Process Steering Team (PPST) said that the recent bombardments by the Burma Army (BA) against civilians in Kachin State and Sagaing Region are a “barricade” to resolving the country’s long-standing problems through political dialogue.

“The military’s space has increased while the political space has become narrower”, which is very bad, Saw Kyaw Nyunt, PPST spokesperson, told NMG. “This isn’t an optimistic action to resume political dialogue.” He said they’ve never seen airstrikes that have resulted in so many deaths.

According to the spokesperson, all of the armed groups must reduce fighting and “resume political dialogue to solve the political problems in our country”.

Since last year’s military coup, the Karen National Union, the Chin National Front and the All Burma Students’ Democratic Front have ceased all dialogue with the military regime and don’t attend meetings of the PPST, which is still trying to engage with the dictatorship.

After a meeting in late October, following the airstrikes, the PPST issued a statement calling on peace stakeholders to avoid “exacerbating political and armed conflicts”. The organisation was shocked by the massive civilian casualties in Hpakant’s A Nang Pa and Let Yet Kon.

The army killed more than 60 people celebrating the 62nd anniversary of the Kachin Independent Organisation in Kachin State. On 16 September, 13 civilians, including 7 children, were killed in Sagaing Region.

Since the coup, political dialogue has stalled while fighting between the BA and many ethnic armed groups in the Southeast Asian country has increased dramatically during which time the civilian population has been also been increasingly caught in the regime’s crosshairs.