An ethnic minority army that is part of formidable rebel alliance fighting Myanmar's ruling military has announced its willingness to hold talks with the junta after a year-long battle along the Myanmar-China border.
An ethnic minority army that is part of formidable rebel alliance fighting Myanmar's ruling military has announced its willingness to hold talks with the junta after a year-long battle along the Myanmar-China border.
The Ta'ang National Liberation Army's (TNLA) decision, announced late on Monday, comes as powerful neighbour China puts pressure on rebels amid the rapid degeneration of the military, which Beijing has long seen as a guarantor of stability.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military ousted an elected government led by democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, sparking a resistance movement that began as peaceful protests and later evolved into an armed rebellion on multiple fronts.
The TNLA in a statement on its official Telegram channel said it wanted a halt to the military's air strikes in its region of northern Shan state and expressed its desire for talks and its appreciation for China's mediation effort.
"Our civilians are suffering from air strikes and other difficulties. So, we need to find a way out," TNLA spokesperson Lway Yay Oo said.
The TNLA is part of a coordinated offensive launched last year called "Operation 1027," named after its start date, which has become the biggest challenge to Myanmar's generals since their coup, resulting in their loss of several towns and military posts.
The other two groups in the alliance, the Arakan Army and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The rebel alliance had previously reached a ceasefire in January with Myanmar's military during China-mediated talks, but the deal collapsed in June and fighting resumed.
A spokesperson for Myanmar's junta did not answer calls from Reuters. China's embassy in Yangon did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the TNLA's statement.
Myanmar's parallel administration, the National Unity Government (NUG), said Beijing must consider the desires of Myanmar's people when getting involved in the country's crisis.
"I want to encourage China not to conduct meetings which go against the will of Myanmar people as they will not be helpful to the country's peace," said its spokesperson Kyaw Zaw.
The younger son of Hollywood filmmaker and political activist Rob Reiner was formally charged on Tuesday (16 December) with first-degree murder in the...
Police in Australia said on Wednesday (17 December) they had charged a man who allegedly opened fire on a Jewish event on Sydney's Bondi Beach with 59...
U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered a "blockade" of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela on Tuesday (16 December), in Washing...
Austria’s public broadcaster ORF, which is hosting the Eurovision Song Contest next year, has said it will not block Palestinian flags in the audien...
Citizens from an additional seven countries, including Syria, are being banned from travelling to the U.S. from the 1st of January next year. Presiden...
December 2025 promises a month full of transformative moments, from significant legal releases and international meetings to cultural milestones and controversial elections. Here’s a look at the key stories set to unfold.
China on Monday sentenced 16 individuals linked to gangs operating from northern Myanmar to death for their roles in telecom fraud and other serious crimes.
Myanmar’s military leader Min Aung Hlaing will travel to China to attend a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, state media reported on Thursday, ahead of the country’s first election in almost five years-a vote backed by Beijing.
Myanmar will hold the initial phase of its general election on 28 December, marking the first polls in nearly five years. The election, already criticised as a sham by opponents, will be held in phases over December and January for security reasons, with subsequent dates to be announced later.
At least 37 people have been killed in flash floods triggered by torrential rain in Morocco's Atlantic coastal province of Safi, Moroccan authorities said on Monday (15 December).
Fighting along the Thailand–Cambodia border has entered a fifth consecutive day, despite U.S. President Donald Trump claiming he had brokered a ceasefire between the two sides.
Authorities discovered the lifeless bodies of renowned filmmaker Rob Reiner, aged 78, and his wife, Michele Reiner, 68, in their upscale Brentwood home in Los Angeles on Sunday. The police investigation has labeled the incident an apparent homicide.
Schools across Cambodia and Thailand were forced to close on Monday (15 December) as border clashes between the two countries escalated, with the death toll reaching at least 40 and hundreds of thousands of people displaced, according to officials and local media.
Cambodia must be the first to declare a ceasefire in the ongoing border conflict, Thailand said on Tuesday (16 December), as fighting continued despite earlier claims that hostilities would stop and at least 52 people have been killed on both sides.
The younger son of Hollywood filmmaker and political activist Rob Reiner was formally charged on Tuesday (16 December) with first-degree murder in the stabbing deaths of his parents, who were found slain in their Los Angeles home over the weekend.
Police in Australia said on Wednesday (17 December) they had charged a man who allegedly opened fire on a Jewish event on Sydney's Bondi Beach with 59 offences, including a terror charge. It was Australia’s deadliest mass shooting in more than 30 years.
U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered a "blockade" of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela on Tuesday (16 December), in Washington's latest move to increase pressure on Nicolas Maduro's government, targeting its main source of income.
Austria’s public broadcaster ORF, which is hosting the Eurovision Song Contest next year, has said it will not block Palestinian flags in the audience or suppress crowd reactions during Israel’s performance.
Citizens from an additional seven countries, including Syria, are being banned from travelling to the U.S. from the 1st of January next year. President Donald Trump made the annoucement on Tuesday (16 December) now has a total of 39 countries banned from entering the States.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment