Myanmar Spring Chronicle – March 24 Overview
MoeMaKa, March 25, 2025
Peace Talks in Naypyidaw Amid Intense Warfare
While battles rage across the country—with ongoing military clashes, arrests, killings, bombings, airstrikes, and the burning of civilian homes—the military junta in Naypyidaw has initiated a three-day peace dialogue starting on March 24. Reports indicate that this forum aims to establish long-term stability and peace.
However, this event is taking place at a time when the junta continues daily airstrikes on villages and cities across Myanmar. The contradiction between waging war on one front and holding peace talks on the other underscores the insincerity of the process. This dialogue is organized by the junta’s National Solidarity and Peace-Making Committee (NSPNC), led by senior military generals, and is being held at the MICC 2 conference hall in Naypyidaw. Notably, this same venue was used during the previous civilian government’s tenure for the 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference initiated by the NLD. Recently, the NSPNC office was also officially established at MICC 2.
In reality, the NSPNC is composed entirely of active-duty military generals, making it a 100% military-driven entity. The committee represents the junta in ceasefire discussions and other negotiations with ethnic armed organizations, further proving that it is far from an independent peace committee.
These so-called peace talks appear to be nothing more than an attempt by the military to persuade armed resistance groups to surrender their weapons and participate in the junta’s planned elections.
For genuine peace to be achieved, the military must withdraw from politics entirely. The 2021 coup was a clear attempt by the military to seize full control of political power. As long as the military remains in politics, any efforts to end armed resistance will be futile.
The forum is attended by certain political parties, ethnic armed group representatives, and members of the NSPNC, most of whom are former and current military generals. Additionally, some business figures have also been invited.
While it remains uncertain what outcomes will emerge from this three-day discussion, one thing is clear: as long as the military seeks to maintain its grip on political power, lasting peace in Myanmar remains out of reach.
Junta Leader to Attend BIMSTEC Summit in Early April
Another notable development is that Thai media reports indicate coup leader Min Aung Hlaing will personally attend the 6th BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) summit in early April. This raises concerns about whether the regional bloc is softening its stance against the Myanmar military.
Since the coup in 2021, ASEAN has refused to officially invite Myanmar’s junta leader to its summits, limiting participation to non-political representatives. This decision was made after the junta failed to implement ASEAN’s five-point consensus for peace.
BIMSTEC, unlike ASEAN, primarily includes South Asian countries such as India, along with Myanmar and Thailand. While its policies are not directly tied to ASEAN’s stance, allowing Min Aung Hlaing to attend in person raises questions about whether the junta is being granted diplomatic legitimacy.
At the same time, Min Aung Hlaing may see this as an opportunity to gain international recognition, especially after his recent state visit to Russia, where he claimed diplomatic success.
With China backing the junta and pressuring it to hold elections, and Russia momentarily easing from the Ukraine war, the military regime is trying to sustain itself by relying on these two allies. Min Aung Hlaing’s strategy is evident—secure international legitimacy while continuing military operations against domestic resistance forces.
For anti-junta resistance groups, increasing diplomatic and political pressure on the junta is crucial. Without stronger international and domestic pressure, the junta will continue to extend its rule. If opposition forces remain divided and uncoordinated, they risk inadvertently giving the military more time to consolidate power.