Republic of the Union of Myanmar
Defence Services Commander-in-Chief Office
Statement on Ceasefire and Perpetual Peace
10th Waxing of Pyatho 1384 ME
31 December 2022
1. With the objective of attainment of perpetual peace across the nation, enhancing the peace process and more effectively carrying out the nation’s COVID-19 prevention, control and treatment, Tatmadaw has over four years issued a total of 21 ceasefire statements between 21 December 2018 and 31 December 2022, and has stopped the military campaigns except for the time when the security and administration machinery of the government, as well as the national defence and security matters, are disturbed.
2. It is one year and 11 months now Tatmadaw has taken over the responsibilities of the State in accord with the Constitution (2008). The State Administration Council, on its part, has formulated the Five-Point Roadmap for strengthening a genuine, discipline-flourishing multi-party democratic system and building up a Union based on democracy and federalism, and the peace process is being constantly undertaken to be able to implement the fourth point of the roadmap, “the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) will be abided by as much as possible to ensure attainment of enduring peace across the nation”.
3. The State Administration Council, on its part, has already celebrated, together with the entire indigenous races born within the Union on an elaborate scale, the 75th Anniversary (Diamond Jubilee) Union Day, which is historically significant, thereby instilling the Union spirit in the entire indigenous races and revitalizing it for the perpetuity of the Union.
4. The 4th of January 2023 is the 75th Anniversary (Diamond Jubilee) Independence Day and so, this day is historically significant and meaningful. It can be seen that the ethnic national people cannot yet fully enjoy the essential benefits of independence which has been re-attained for 75 whole years because of the internal armed conflicts caused by the differences of opinion. Only when the problem of internal armed conflicts can be resolved, can the benefits of democracy and independence be enjoyed to the full.
5. State Administration Council Chairman Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, on his part, delivered a speech on 22 April 2022 concerning peace to the ethnic armed organizations and the people; additionally, he invited the leaders of the ethnic armed organizations to hold honest and frank discussions in order that the peace process can be more effectively implemented in a practical manner. Till today, Tatmadaw has been able to meet two times with the seven groups which have signed the NCA viz DKBA, KNU-KNLA/PC, PNLO, NMSP, ALP, RCSS(SSA) and LDU and the three groups which have not signed the NCA yet viz UWSA, NDAA and SSPP (SSA), bringing the number of discussants to ten in toto.
6. During the discussions, matters relating to the pursuit of a genuine multiparty democratic system, the building up of the Union based on democracy and federalism, the demands made by the ethnic armed organizations and things that are essential to respective regions and the country and feasible to implement were discussed frankly for the benefit of the Union with the positive results achieved. The peace process is ongoing to effectuate the path to peace based on the 2008 Constitution and the NCA.
7. It is, therefore, declared that with the objective of continuing to implement the peace process in a practical manner and achieving the perpetual peace that the entire mass of the people aspire for, the military campaigns will remain to be suspended for one more year from 1 January to 31 December 2023 except the time when the national security and the State’s administrative machinery are disturbed as well as matters concerning national defence and administration are adversely affected.
8. In ensuring the peace and prosperity of the Union which is the aspiration of the entire mass of the people and in the effectuation of the socio-economic development as well as in attempting to reach the goal of perpetual peace, the discussion and negotiation approach shall be employed to conform to the democratic practices. All organizations and individuals involved in the peace process are enjoined to exert concerted efforts to their utmost and in a manner that will benefit the Union to be able to increasingly implement the peace process during the extended ceasefire period.
Office of the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services