Myanmar Gov't, Military To Hold Talks With Ethnic Groups

Top officials from Myanmar's government and military will meet with the country's major political parties and ethnic groups for the first time Friday - but groups representing minority Rohingya Muslims will be excluded from the talks.



Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the opposition National League for Democracy, will attend along with coalition parties representing various ethnic minorities to discuss the country's political deadlock, the Irrawaddy website reported.



Participants believe topics including the country's democratic reforms, national reconciliation and peace talks with ethnic rebels will be up for discussion.



But the treatment of the long-persecuted Rohingya, which has tarnished President Thein Sein's reformist image abroad, is unlikely to be on the agenda, Muslim groups say.



The minority has born the brunt of Buddhist on Muslim violence that began in 2012 and is widely considered a threat to the reform process.



Wali Ullah, leader of the pro-Rohingya National Democratic Party for Development, told the Anadolu Agency on Thursday that his party had not been invited to Friday's meeting in the capital of Nay Pyi Taw.



"National reconciliation is only for Buddhists," he said.



He added that he believed the meeting has been orchestrated to assuage U.S. fears about backsliding on reforms ahead of a visit by Barack Obama next month.



Myanmar's government has promised to achieve a nationwide cease-fire with major rebel militias before next year's landmark general election. But bouts of fighting have continued despite the fact most groups have signed agreements.



Suu Kyi is likely to use the meeting to push for amendments to Myanmar's 2008 constitution, which bars her from becoming president and guarantees the military 25 percent of all seats in Parliament - giving them an effective veto over constitutional changes.



The pro-democracy icon has disappointed her foreign supporters by failing to speak out against anti-Muslim violence, which has killed at least 280 people and forced over 140,000 others from their homes, mostly Rohingya.



Myanmar began drastic political and economic reforms in 2011 after the military junta handed power to a quasi-civilian government.



www.aa.com.tr/en - Yangon