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Ceasefire reached between Burma, Kachin rebels: official

May 31, 2013

RANGOON, Burma – An official negotiator announced Thursday (May 30th) that Burma has reached a preliminary ceasefire agreement with Kachin rebels after two years of fighting, AFP reported.

Min Zaw Oo, a director of the EU-funded Myanmar Peace Centre, said Kachin and government representatives signed a seven-point plan. "The agreement is to stop fighting at this point and afterwards there are going to be detailed discussions about the repositioning of troops."

The rebels want greater autonomy for Kachin, a northern state bordering China where fighting erupted in 2011. That, coupled with communal violence elsewhere, has raised concerns among international organisations including the UN.

During this latest round of talks, Vijay Nambiar, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's special envoy on Burma, joined the meeting for the first time as an observer, as did representatives of China and other ethnic minorities.

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