BANGKOK, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- Myanmar says it has signed a truce with ethnic Karen rebels who have been fighting for autonomy since the country gained independence from Britain in 1948.
The New York Times said the cease-fire agreement with the Karen National Liberation Party, announced Thursday in the capital city of Pa-an, coincides with an announcement opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy will offer a slate of candidates in Myanmar's upcoming parliamentary elections.
Suu Kyi is a Nobel prize winner who was held under detention for nearly two decades.
Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has been wracked by a series of civil wars since 1948 and ruled by military juntas since 1962. The international community has demanded an end to the fighting in exchange for improved relations.
The current military-based civilian government is reported seeking new deals with other ethnic groups. An agreement has been reached with the Shan State Army, but fighting has continued with the Kachin Independence Army despite President Thein Sein's order to end military operations, the newspaper said.
