Peace talks have begun in Myanmar to end decades of carnage between ethnic minorities and the military. The nation's new leader Aung San Suu Kyi told delegates that reconciliation was essential for recovery.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/R. Gacad
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Delegates from 18 rebel groups attended the summit's opening Wednesday in the jungle capital Naypyitaw, alongside stoney-faced military officers.
"If all those who play a part ... in the peace process cultivate the wisdom to reconcile differing views for the good of the people ... we will surely be able to build the democratic federal union of our dreams," said Suu Kyi in her opening remarks.
Nobel peace laureate Suu Kyi said the five days of talks offered the country a "unique opportunity" to make good on a 1947 deal between her late father, Myanmar's national hero General Aung San, and colonial power Britain that should have given ethnic groups autonomy, but which fell apart.
The Panglong Conference, a meeting between General Aung San and ethnic minorities in 1947, led to the formation of the Union of Burma after independence from Britain.
General Aung San was assassinated shortly after independence in 1948.
"Only if we are all united will our country be at peace. Only if our country is at peace will we be able to stand on an equal footing with other countries in the region and across the world," Suu Kyi said on Wednesday.
Army still exerts power
Privately, Suu Kyi's aides have said her government is still hamstrung by having to work with Myanmar's army. It still controls borders, defense and a quarter of the seats in parliament.
Also attending the talks are UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and international diplomats. Three of Myanmar's 21 rebel groups are absent.
On Tuesday, Ban had called on Myanmar to improve conditions for the Rohingya community. There are no representatives for the 1.1 million Muslim community at the peace summit. Many in the Buddhist majority country regard the largely stateless Rohingya as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. They are not among the 135 ethnic groups recognised by law.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon at the Naypyitaw peace talksImage: Getty Images/AFP/R. Gacad
Some 120,000 Rohingya remain displaced in squalid "internally displaced persons" (IDP) camps since fighting erupted in Rakhine state between Buddhists and Muslims in 2012.
Rebel armies control a patchwork of remote territories rich in jade, tin and timber, mostly in Myanmar's north and east, along its borders with China and Thailand.
Many communities live in poverty despite the economic potential. Distrust of the military stems from decades of oppression, including mass killings and rape.
Current commander in chief Min Aung Hlaing said a ceasefire signed with eight groups last year should be joined by other ethnic militias, according to an English-language transcript of his address to the conference.
Since 2011, skirmishes, especially between Kachin insurgents and the army, have displaced more than 100,000 civilians. Some are living in refuge in squalid camps in neighboring Thailand.
General Min Aung Hlaing at the Naypyitaw peace talksImage: Getty Images/AFP/R. Gacad
"We don't want to see our people living in poor and vulnerable conditions anymore because of the fighting," said N'Ban La, chairman of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), an alliance of 11 ethnic rebel groups. "And now the country has its first fully-elected civilian government. That's why we decided to find solutions through negotiations," said N'Ban La, who is also the deputy chairman of the Kachin Independent Organization, the political wing of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA).
Khua Uk Lian, a deputy leader of the Chin National Front - one of the eight groups that agreed to the recent ceasefire - said fighting was hard to stop.
"You have local commanders fighting about local problems," he said. "It's been like this since we have been fighting."
Military chief Hlaing warned against drawn out peace talks, saying "interferences" could eventuate if the process took longer than the "appropriate time."
ipj/jm (AFP, AP, dpa)
Southeast Asia's architectural treasure
Yangon is one of the region's most exciting cities. Following decades of international isolation, the city has still kept onto many of its colonial-era buildings. Here are some highlights.
Image: Manuel Oka
Shwedagon Pagoda
Yangon's majestic landmark towers over the city from the top of Singuttara Hill. The pagoda is 99 meters high and covered with shining gold plates. It has been the center of religious life of Myanmar for centuries. The pagoda's layout is intricate, while the complex surrounding it is vast. Recently, high-rise construction was banned in the vicinity of the pagoda in order to preserve its views.
Image: Manuel Oka
The Secretariat
Welcome to the Secretariat, Yangon's iconic colonial building, which is an epic symbol of British rule; a haunting monument to the broken dreams of Burmese independence. Built in several stages between 1889 and 1905, it became the administrative center of British Burma. The sight of those glowing red bricks, obscured by forbidding barbed wire, transfixes legions of locals and visitors alike.
Image: Manuel Oka
The old, new Secretariat
After decades of neglect, the future of Yangon's most iconic colonial building is slowly taking shape. In 2012, a little-known entity was awarded the lease on the building and some restoration work began inside the complex. But significant investment will be needed to bring the 40,000-square-meter complex back to an acceptable state. Current plans feature museums, galleries and a cultural center.
Image: Manuel Oka
Theingyi Market
Today's Theingyi Market began its existence as the "Surati Bara Bazaar" in the 19th century. A visit here is a definite must-see Yangon experience as grinding traffic, baskets of fresh fish and hollering merchants seem locked in a seamless choreography controlled by higher forces.
Image: Manuel Oka
Sofaer's Building
Few buildings evoke old Yangon quite like Sofaer's Building. This imposing edifice is in a decrepit state today but still - despite the years, weeds and grime - retains the grandeur of its young glory days. In the early 20th century, tenants included the news agency Reuters, Bank of Burma and China Mutual Life Insurance Company. Today, an art gallery and a Japanese restaurant attract tourists.
Image: Manuel Oka
Tripitaka Library
Several buildings from the 1950s and '60s tell the story of a young nation struggling to find its place in the world. The Tripitaka Library, pictured here, was built on the occasion of the Sixth Buddhist Synod which took place in Yangon from 1954-1956.
Image: Manuel Oka
Shia Mosque
This city is the shared legacy of tangled nations and kindred cultures. In that sense, it is literally an example to the world. As the Burmese historian Thant Myint-U points out in his writings, the expression "plural society" was coined to describe the exceptional mix of colonial Yangon. Pictured here is the Mogul Shia Mosque, built by Persian immigrants in the early 20th century.
Image: Manuel Oka
Yangon Division Office Complex
The renovation of the building is due to transform the Yangon Division Office Complex, as it was known until recently, into a 229-room luxury hotel operated by the international Kempinski chain. Local activist groups had vehemently opposed the deal, calling instead for public use of this iconic building on Strand Road.
Image: Manuel Oka
Myanma Port Authority
With the economic and political "opening" of Myanmar, the pace of change in Yangon is breathtaking. Here, a new pedestrian bridge across Strand Road is pictured. Hastily erected to cope with soaring traffic on this busy thoroughfare, it now obstructs the view onto this stretch of impressive colonial-era buildings by the river. They include the Myanma Port Authority building with its iconic tower.
Image: Manuel Oka
Yangon Architectural Guide
It is not yet clear how the city's landscape is going to change in the coming years. Many of Yangon's historic sites are in a dilapidated state, but few are interested in their preservation. That's why Ben Bansal, Elliott Fox and Manuel Oka recently wrote a guide book titled "Yangon Architectural Guide," summarizing the city's architectural heritage. The book will be available from October 2015.
