Bangkok- A major ethnic rebel group in Myanmar announced Wednesday it signed a cease-fire with the military following China-mediated talks, easing months of intense fighting in the country’s northeast near the Chinese border.

The ceasefire with the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, or TNLA, marks a significant victory for Myanmar’s military government, which has regained territories ahead of elections scheduled to start Dec 28. Critics see the polls, which exclude the main opposition parties, as an attempt to legitimise and maintain the military’s rule.

The ceasefire was signed during talks mediated by China on Monday and Tuesday in Kunming, a Chinese provincial capital about 400 km from the border with Myanmar, the TNLA said in a statement Wednesday on the Telegram messaging platform.

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