BANGKOK -- China hosted peace talks between the Myanmar government and ethnic Kachin rebels on Monday, as outside pressure grew on both sides to end the intense fighting of recent weeks.
The one-day meeting ended without a firm commitment to stop the clashes, which have left at least several hundred soldiers dead and displaced tens of thousands of civilians in the northernmost reaches of Myanmar, near the Chinese border. But the talks were notable for China's prominent role in getting both sides to the negotiating table.
"The Chinese asked us to come to the meeting," said Awng Jet, a member of the Kachin delegation. "They told us that U Aung Min would be there and said we should be there, too." Mr. Aung Min was the head of the Myanmar government's delegation.
China is increasingly concerned about the fighting along its southern border. Shells have landed in its territory at least twice, refugees have come across the border and commerce has been interrupted -- northern Myanmar is rich in jade and timber and is the site of many Chinese hydroelectric projects.
A statement released after the talks by the Kachin rebels, who have lost some strategic positions in recent weeks, was noncommittal but appeared to show a willingness for further negotiations. "We discussed opening lines of communication, reducing military tensions, and inviting observers and organizations that can participate as witnesses at another meeting," the statement said.
Previous negotiations with Kachin rebels foundered, and a cease-fire announced last month by the Myanmar government never went into effect. But in contrast with aborted peace talks in October, the Kachin rebels sent a senior representative, Gen. Gun Maw, to the negotiations on Monday.
China confirmed Monday that it was providing "amenities for the peace talks," which are being held in Ruili, a city along the border with Myanmar, also known as Burma. "China is willing to continue playing a constructive role in the peace talks between the two sides," said a spokeswoman for China's Foreign Ministry, Hua Chunying, at a daily news media briefing in Beijing.
The Kachin, whose many tribes live in the mountains of northern Myanmar, have a long history of autonomy from the lowland Burmese majority and are the only remaining major armed ethnic group that has not signed a peace deal with the government of President Thein Sein.
A successful outcome of the peace talks would bolster domestic and international confidence in Mr. Thein Sein's reconciliation efforts, one of the central initiatives of his government. Even so, it would be only the start of a broader political dialogue between Myanmar's central government and a dozen or so ethnic groups that are calling for a more decentralized system.
The Kachin rebels' position on the battlefield has been considerably weakened in recent weeks with the loss of strategic hilltops near their headquarters at Laiza, a town on the border with China.
The goal of Myanmar's army in recent weeks has been to "isolate and weaken" the Kachin rebels, said Aung Din, a former Burmese student activist who has close contacts with armed rebels groups in northern Myanmar.
Shelling by the army continued in two locations over the weekend, according to Khon Ja, a Kachin humanitarian worker. But the intensity of the attacks represented a sharp reduction from the barrage of artillery launched against rebels in recent weeks.
Zhu Zhenming, a professor at the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences, described the gains by the army as a "turning point in the conflict."
At the same time, both China and the United States, which is seeking to build closer ties to Myanmar, want to see the conflict resolved, he said, creating "a good external environment" for the peace process.
Wai Moe contributed reporting from Ruili, China. Bree Feng and Patrick Zuo contributed research from Beijing.
First Published: February 4, 2013, 11:00 p.m.
