YANGON:  , Myanmar’s junta carried out fresh air strikes on an opposition-held town on Friday ( Sep 27 ), hours after issuing an unprecedented invitation to its enemies for talks on the country’s civil war.
According to analysts, the surprise call for discussions on Thursday was likely a tip in the direction of contentious new elections, and two well-known military organizations quickly refrained from doing so.
The junta was forced to accept the offer as racial minority military organizations and pro-democracy” People’s Military Forces” who had risen up to challenge the military’s takeover of power in 2021.
The teams have seize some beneficial border crossings and have taken Lashio, a city of 150, 000 persons, as its biggest urban center, from separatists since 1962.
According to Richard Horsey of the International Crisis Group, this was” the first time the government has exhibited a willingness to engage in dialogue with the post-coup weight forces.”
Junta key Min Aung Hlaing has much spoken of “annihilating” the parties, he pointed out.
Defense aircraft bombed Lashio, in northern Shan state, shortly after the offer was made, where it is now controlled by MNDAA soldiers.
” I heard two blasts”, a resident told AFP, asking for privacy for safety reasons.
” I heard that a number of people were hurt and five were killed,” he said.
One Yangon-based diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said of the junta’s offer:” So far I have n’t seen the inclination towards serious reconciliation”.