Welcoming Myanmar Ceasefire, Secretary-General Urges Sustained Peace Effort

The following statement was issued on 20 January by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General welcomed the announcement by the Government of Myanmar on Friday of a ceasefire in Kachin and has been following the various reports from the ground on its implementation.  He calls upon both sides to make a serious effort to create conditions for sustained peace in Kachin through enhanced confidence-building measures and political dialogue.  He also calls for renewed access to vulnerable civilian populations in the area to enable the supply of humanitarian assistance to them.

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For information media • not an official record