TNI Report - Neither war nor peace: The future of the cease-fire agreements in Burma

This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the first cease-fire agreements in Burma, which put a stop to decades of fighting between the military government and ethnic armed opposition groups. These groups had taken up arms against the government in search of more autonomy and ethnic rights. This paper explains how the cease-fire agreements came about, and analyses the goals and strategies of the cease-fire groups.

It also discusses the weaknesses the groups face in implementing these goals, and the consequences of the cease-fires. Several of the Special Regions under control of cease-fire groups were also prominent areas of opium cultivation and illicit trading.The paper then examines the international responses to the cease-fires, and ends with an overview of the future prospects for the agreements.