Burma's military government says a cease-fire agreement with the nation's largest rebel group, the Karen National Union, has ended more than five decades of conflict.
A government statement Friday says the two sides reached agreement this week during talks in the capital, Rangoon. No formal accord was signed and the cease-fire was not reported in the official media.
Earlier in the week, a rebel spokesman told VOA the military had dropped its demand that the rebels first lay down their arms before a cease-fire is signed.
The Karen National Union is the last major guerrilla organization in Burma that has not signed a formal agreement with the government. It has pursued autonomy for the Karen people since Burma gained independence from Britain in 1949.
Information for this report is provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.