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Reuters
YANGON
Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi opened a new round of talks with some of the country's myriad ethnic groups on Wednesday, looking to revive a stuttering peace process after a tough first year in power that saw the worst fighting with rebels in years.
The conference comes amid continued tensions between ethnic armed groups, the military and Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi, and analysts said it was unlikely to see any new groups join a landmark ceasefire accord negotiated by the previous administration. Ending decades of near-perpetual civil war is Suu Kyi's stated No. 1 priority - a goal she sees as key to unlocking the resource-rich country's potential and guaranteeing basic development for its more than 50 million people.
In an opening speech, Suu Kyi urged the gathered rebel representatives to join the National Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) negotiated by a quasi-civilian transitional government that took office after the end of junta-rule in 2011.
She said the NCA was not a goal in itself, but a first step towards deepening dialogue."We recognise that ceasefire negotiations can address surface problems, but only political dialogue can address underlying grievances,"Suu Kyi told the delegates gathered in the capital Naypyitaw.
