Shan state, Myanmar – As  Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party prepares to take power on April 1, and Htin Kyaw, Myanmar’s first civilan president is sworn in after more than five decades of military rule, fighting in Myanmar’s northern Shan State continues, despite a nationwide ceasefire agreement signed by the previous government last October.

Thousands of villagers have been displaced as a result. 

The Ta’Ang National Liberation Army and other ethnic groups have been fighting against government forces for decades, seeking greater autonomy and federalism.

The ceasefire deal excluded many groups, including the TNLA, and it was “dismissed by some as a last-ditch publicity stunt by the government before an election they knew they were highly unlikely to win against the National League for Democracy party, led by Aung San Suu Kyi.”

Meanwhile, clashes continue to be reported between government forces and other fighting groups in tit-for-tat attacks, while the civilian population continues to suffer. 

Aung San Suu Kyi had not participated in the ceasefire agreement, but in January she announced her party’s intention to bring about peace in the country by striving for an “an all-inclusive ceasefire agreement”.