India backs Myanmar’s truce pact with rebels

Smita Sharma

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Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 13

India today extended its support to the National Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) in Myanmar with Deputy National Security Adviser Rajinder Khanna present at the signing ceremony.

Two ethnic armed groups located in areas bordering Thailand-New Mon State Party (NMSP) and the Lahu Democratic Union (LDU) entered the agreement today after talks held with State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and Myanmarese Army commander-in-chief last month.

Suu Kyi has been seeking to revive the peace process to end a decade-long conflict between armed rebels seeking secession and government and military.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Ravish Kumar said: “India supports the Myanmar peace process. Comprehensive peace and national reconciliation in Myanmar will also be conducive for the peace and prosperity of the North-eastern states of India.”

India called Khanna’s presence its “continued support” to the peace process in Myanmar. 

The NCA that first came into force in October 2015 saw eight armed ethnic groups enter the fold but are yet to disarm. India along with China, Japan, Thailand, the UN and the EU had been invited to sign the NCA as international witnesses. Suu Kyi said: “This is the decision to make the first step to jointly lay the foundation stone of the Democratic Federal Republic that will emerge in the future for the national reconciliation and union peace.”