Exile media outlets say the Shan ethnic rebel group has signed a low-level ceasefire with the government in Myanmar.
The Irrawaddy website reported the Shan State Army-South signed an agreement today with Myanmar’s official Shan State government. The rebel group was one of the biggest not to previously sign a ceasefire with the government.
The Shan Herald Agency for News, a website close to the guerrillas, cited Shan rebel leader Yawdserk saying an agreement was reached on a ceasefire, political negotiations, development and cooperation against drugs.
The agreement comes as Myanmar’s army-backed but elected government is seeking international legitimacy through democratic reforms after years of military repression.
Neither the government nor the rebel group would comment.