Myanmar President Sees Ceasefire Within Weeks

   
     By Alex Brittain 
   

LONDON--Myanmar's president said Monday a nationwide ceasefire with rebels could be reached within weeks and vowed to free all prisoners of conscience by the end of the year, part of an attempt to pitch the former military dictatorship as a safe, stable location for foreign companies to invest.

President Thein Sein, speaking during a trip to the U.K. and France to strengthen diplomatic ties and encourage investment, also made a populist pitch to voters at home, saying proceeds of economic growth would be shared among the public and promising that development wouldn't despoil the environment.

"I guarantee to you that by the end of this year there will be no prisoners of conscience in Myanmar," he said, according to a live translation of his remarks. "We are aiming for nothing less than a transition from half a century of military rule and authoritarianism to democracy."

He addressed fears that a recent wave of sectarian violence, which led to riots in March, could undermine the country's transition to stability. He vowed that perpetrators of violence would be punished under the law.

A separate set of conflicts between the army and regional rebels could enter ceasefire in a matter of weeks, he said.

"I believe we will turn a corner soon," he said. "Very possibly, over the coming weeks we will have a nationwide ceasefire and the guns will go silent in Myanmar for the first time in over 60 years."

Myanmar emerged from decades of military rule in 2011 into a parliamentary system, with Mr. Thein Sein its first president under the system. On Monday he stressed the need for continued progress to strengthen the fledgling democracy.

"This is no easy thing. We see elsewhere the dangers of any sudden political shift, where institutions are unable to cope," he said. "We cannot allow this transformation to fail".

Mr. Thein Sein was speaking at the Royal Institution of International Affairs, also known as Chatham House.

--Shibani Mahtani contributed to this article.

Write to Alex Brittain at alex.brittain@dowjones.com

http://www.information.myanmaronlinecentre.com/myanmar-president-sees-ceasefire-within-weeks/