This week the Burmese government drew up and signed an "historic" ceasefire between 16 ethnic separatists groups and militias in the capitol city of Rangoon (Yangon). The ceasefire, however, did not include the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) against whom the Burmese army has been fighting in the Kokang region of Burma, bordering China. In fact, no separatists in the Kokang region were included in the cease fire. It is interesting to find that Burma has an interest in ending volatile relations between separatists in their country, but not in the region where it matters most.
The conflict in Kokang may be too out of control for them to ignore it, or the MNDAA may not have been willing to cooperate. The article does not specify, but offers some possible reasons for a ceasefire not being sought in the Kokang. The national issues, of course, is a primary concern for the Burmese government, who is facing well organized groups seeking to tear the region away from Burma. Speculations of foreign funding coming into the country in support of the border conflict may also have the Burmese government thinking twice about ending the fight too soon. In any case, the ceasefire between 16 groups points to the fact that the Burmese governments wants to focus more, if anything, on the battle going on in Kokang.
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2015/04/16/burm-a16.html
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