The new government made its first reconciliatory announcement on the peace process on 18 August 2011, to invite ethnic armed groups “to secure lasting peace” in the country.
It was the first official overture announced nationwide
to initiate a peace process to all armed groups since
Gen.
Ne Win had made a similar call in 1963.However, the announcement did not trigger any immediate response or outreach from the ethnic armed groups.
The groups were undoubtedly still questioning the government’s true intention to engage in a genuine peace process