Naypyidaw: Myanmar's president aims to conclude peace negotiations within 100 days. Myanmar's new, military-backed government has expressed its willingness to hold peace talks with opposition armed groups by the end of July, but the two main opposition groups have rejected the proposal.

According to Thai News Agency, Myanmar's state media reported that Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the president who led the coup five years ago, informed a government meeting that he wanted armed groups that had not signed ceasefire agreements to participate in talks within a 100-day timeframe. He invited groups that had not yet entered the negotiation process to join the talks by the July 31 deadline, specifically mentioning opposition groups such as the Karen National Union (KNU), the Chin National Front (CNF), and the All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSD), while also referencing the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), a mechanism in place before the 2021 coup.

A spokesperson for the Karen National Union rejected the government's offer, stating that the group had withdrawn from the ceasefire agreement since the coup and had no plans to re-enter negotiations under the original framework. Similarly, a spokesperson for the Chin National Front affirmed that their goal is to create a democratic federal system free from military influence, and that they would not hold any discussions with an administration that was merely a rebranded military regime.

The situation in Myanmar remains volatile following the coup that overthrew the civilian government of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who was sentenced to 27 years in prison on charges widely viewed as politically motivated. Last week, her sentence was commuted by one-sixth of its original amount. Meanwhile, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing was recently elected president by parliament earlier this month, amidst criticism from Western governments who view the election as an attempt to perpetuate authoritarian rule under the guise of democracy, resulting in the government receiving recognition from only a few countries.