China said Thursday that clashes between the Myanmar army and ethnic minorities in recent weeks have led to more than 20,000 people from northwestern Myanmar crossing into Chinese territory. He urged the parties involved to exercise restraint and take effective and serious measures to restore peace and stability to the region. “We support the peace process and hope relevant parties will solve their differences through diplomatic means, dialogue and consultation to ensure peace in this area,” Geng said. The Myanmar government led by Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi plans to organise a conference later this month to sign a peace treaty with ethnic minorities, seeking to end more than six decades of civil conflict. The guerrillas urge a fresh ceasefire, the formation of a federal union giving autonomy to ethnic minorities and the end of military operations in these regions.

Source: Dhaka Tribune March 09, 2017 13:05 UTC