CNI News
30 June 2025
There are considerations among military and political observers regarding whether the peace talks and meetings held by the SAC's National Solidarity and Peacemaking Negotiation Committee (NSPNC) can actually work without the armed groups that are currently fighting on the ground.
The SAC only invites some armed groups that have signed the NCA, political parties registered with the UEC, delegates from neighboring countries and some media outlets to the talks led and held by the SAC.
Despite the SAC's invitations to the armed forces fighting on the ground to resolve the political issue through political means, no action has been taken to involve them.
the participation of armed resistance forces in the talks may depend on the outcome of the talks held by the SAC, and if any result didn't come out in the peace talks, there was no reason for the armed groups to participate in the talks, U Khun Sai, who is involved in the peace process, told CNI News.
While the Peace Forum was being held
"For the time being, although the SAC is holding peace talks or peace forums, if no solution comes out, the fighting groups won't participate in the talks. But I think they also want the peace of Myanmar. If they see that peace is essential, they will participate. Right now, they won't participate in the talks. They can say there is no discussion about blood debt now. There is a Chinese saying: Make those close to you happy, and those far away will come. We haven't seen anything about making those close to them happy. In this situation, those far away will find it difficult to come." he said.
The SAC held the Peace Forum 2025 in Nay Pyi Taw from June 25 to 27, as a follow-up to the Peace Talk 2025 held in March.
The event was attended by the SAC Chairman and delegations from Thailand, India, and China.
The SAC chairman said that when the parliament emerged and people could walk on the path of democracy, taking up arms and demanding ones' wishes was a deviation from democracy. He said that the demands would have to be discussed and approved by each parliament.
The talks held by the SAC are more about maintaining their power than peace, and therefore cannot negotiate with groups that would outright attack them, Dr. Hla Kyaw Zaw, a China-Myanmar affairs analyst, told CNI News.
“The military council’s aim is to hold theatrical discussions with the aim of maintaining its hold on power by all means possible.During the era of the Burma Socialist Programme Party, General Ne Win also held similar talks and so did the State Peace Development Council. So their goal is not to bring peace and stability to Burma. They are only doing this to strengthen their military dictatorship and continue to hold power.So he (SAC Chairman) can't negotiate with the people who are going to attack his army to the end. That's why he is holding talks with his followers." she said.
Currently, the Myanmar military is engaged in clashes with armed rebel groups across Myanmar, with the fighting in the northern region having been relatively reduced due to China's influence.
However, in order to overcome the political crisis and restore democracy, while fighting continues in other areas, the SAC has said that elections will be held in separate phases in December 2025 and January 2026, and the state power will be handed over to the winning party.
