Thein Sein hails peace draft

Peace at hand: Vice-chairman of the Union Peace Working Comittee Aung Min (left) shaking hands with Naing Han Tha, a leader of the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordinating Team after they signed the draft agreement in Yangon as Thein Sein (centre) looks on. — AFP

YANGON: Myanmar president Thein Sein said a draft peace deal with a host of rebel groups would go down in history, in a speech highlighting the government’s eagerness to end decades of civil war.

The reformist leader, who has placed a national ceasefire agreement at the heart of the country’s efforts to shake off the legacy of military rule, said an end to the fighting – which has continued in northern border areas – was within reach.