China’s attempts to mediate a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict in Rakhine State have so far failed due to the Myanmar military’s targeting of civilians, the Arakan Army (AA) has claimed.
Khaing Thukha, the group’s spokesperson, said during an online press conference on Saturday that the regime’s refusal to listen to the AA’s concerns about civilians was the greatest obstacle to ending the fighting.
“We told the [junta] generals during the last meeting not to target civilians, a request that they are ignoring to this day, not only in Rakhine State, but also in other areas where we are fighting. Therefore, it is very, very difficult to enter a ceasefire,” he said.
China arranged a meeting between the two sides on May 15, but it collapsed over the issue of ensuring civilians safety, AA leader Twan Mrat Naing told VOA’s Myanmar-language service on. . .
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