Immediate peace is attainable if all conflicting factions genuinely commit to ending hostilities.
President U Min Aung Hlaing has reiterated the government’s unconditional invitation to all ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) to participate in peace talks, emphasizing that sustainable peace is the key to accelerating development in Myanmar’s border and ethnic regions.
The President made the remarks while chairing a meeting of the Central Committee on the Implementation of Progress of Border Areas and National Races at the President’s Office yesterday afternoon.
In his opening address, the President reviewed the history of border development programmes, explaining that the Central Committee was first established in 1989 following peace agreements with several ethnic armed groups. He said the initiative was created to address the long-standing lack of development in border and ethnic areas, many of which had been left behind because of armed conflict, geographical isolation and poor infrastructure. Although successive governments had undertaken development projects over the years, he acknowledged that some had succeeded while others had fallen short of expectations.
The President also reflected on Myanmar’s political history, stating that political disagreements and constitutional disputes following independence eventually contributed to armed conflicts that continued to affect the country’s stability and development. He said prolonged fighting had delayed socioeconomic progress in many ethnic regions, where difficult terrain, poor transport links, limited communications and inadequate access to government services had resulted in weaker education, healthcare and economic opportunities.
Reaffirming the government’s political vision, the President said it remained committed to building a peaceful, stable democratic nation founded on a genuine, disciplined multiparty democratic system and a Union based on democracy and federalism. He stressed that reducing the development gap between border regions and the rest of the country was essential to achieving those goals. He noted that not only remote border areas but also some regions closer to urban centres still lagged in development and required greater government attention.
Addressing the government’s peace initiative, the President recounted that he will strive to restore peace across the nation within five years. He renewed his appeal to every ethnic armed organization to engage in dialogue without any preconditions. He said the invitation remained open to all groups and rejected suggestions that the peace process was restricted by the government’s 100-day action plan. According to the President, peace could be achieved immediately if all parties genuinely wished to end the conflict, whereas those unwilling to negotiate would continue to delay the process with various excuses. He added that the government was prepared to use every available channel to achieve lasting peace because continued political and armed conflicts remained the greatest obstacles to national progress. In particular, he welcomed EAO participation in peace talks without any preconditions.
The President stressed that peace and development must advance together. He said improving living standards in border and ethnic areas would create more employment opportunities locally, reducing migration while narrowing socioeconomic disparities. He called for greater investment in education, healthcare, transport, communications and human resource development to ensure that residents of remote areas could enjoy opportunities comparable to those elsewhere in the country.
Highlighting the government’s commitment to regional development, the President announced that K1.397 trillion had been allocated to seven border development sub-committees and K643.68 billion to nine regional working committees for the 2026-2027 financial year. He urged committee members to ensure the funds were used efficiently and in accordance with established standards so that development projects would deliver lasting benefits to local communities.
During the meeting, committee secretary Union Minister for Border Affairs Lt-Gen Phone Myat presented updates on the implementation of border development programmes. Committee members also reported on measures to strengthen the rule of law, improve local administration, combat online fraud and drug trafficking, expand development projects under five strategic programmes, and ensure education and healthcare services reached border communities. Reports also covered scholarship programmes for students, teachers recruitment, agricultural assistance, environmental conservation, road and bridge construction, drinking water projects, electricity expansion and future development plans.
The Defence Services Commander-in-Chief, who is also a committee member, highlighted ongoing efforts to maintain security, restore border trade routes and expand territorial control, stating that peace and development were directly linked. Meanwhile, Vice-President Nan Ni Ni Aye stressed the importance of appointing local ethnic teachers in schools to help overcome language barriers and improve education in ethnic communities. Vice-President U Nyo Saw called for border development projects to meet quality standards and contribute to long-term socio-economic progress and stability.
In his closing remarks, the President instructed committee members to review the achievements of border development programmes since their establishment and place greater emphasis on improving education, healthcare and livelihoods in ethnic regions. He reiterated that hospitals must have adequate medical personnel, development funds should be used effectively, and more skilled workers should be trained in the agriculture and livestock sectors. He also urged officials to promote crops suited to local conditions, improve food security in remote areas, ensure civil servants assigned to distant regions received adequate support, and listen closely to the needs of local ethnic communities when implementing development projects.
The meeting was attended by committee vice-chairpersons Vice-Presidents U Nyo Saw and Nan Ni Ni Aye, Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services General Ye Win Oo, Union ministers, the Chairman of the Nay Pyi Taw Council, chief ministers of states and regions, the Chief of the General Staff (Army, Navy and Air), senior military officers from the Office of Commander-in-Chief, deputy ministers and other officials.
MNA/ST
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