Peace talks with Kuki-Chin suspended following bank robbery

The peace dialogue between the armed separatist group Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) and the Peace Establishment Committee in Bandarban has been suspended.

Bandarban Hill District Council Chairman and convener of the Peace Establishment Committee Kya Shai Hla announced the suspension of the peace talks at a press conference at the Bandarban Zila Parishad meeting room on Thursday morning.

He said a discussion was held at Arun Saraki Town Hall on 29 May 2023 with different ethnic group leaders to bring KNF members back to normal life. The 18-member Peace Establishment Committee was formed on 9 June that year.

Kya Shai Hla further said after several rounds of virtual meetings between the peace establishment committee and the KNF, an opportunity was created to hold a direct dialogue based on the views of both sides. Two rounds of direct dialogue were held on 5 November 2023 and 5 March 2024. Both dialogues resulted in signing two memorandums of understanding on KNF's cessation of armed activities in the hill tracts.

But they have been carrying out armed activities on different occasions violating the agreement. Moreover, they have continued terror acts including armed attacks, extortion, and kidnapping, causing immense terror among the locals, he added.

Condemning the KNF’s recent occurrences of bank robberies and attacks on police and Ansar personnel in the hill district’s Ruma and Thanchi upazilas, Kya Shai Hla announced the suspension of peace dialogue with them, hinting at no point in negotiating with those terrorists.