Talks with KIO will continue: government

Negotiation between the government and the rebel Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) will continue in spite of the ongoing clashes, the deputy minister for the President’s Office, Aung Thein, told the Parliament late last week.

“Till now, we have reached truces with 10 national ethnic armed groups among 11 of them after political talks. But we still can’t reach an end of hostilities with KIO. It is unbelievable concerning the situation where we can’t reach it. We [from the government side] should review our methods concerning peace talks. However, we will continue our political talks without ceasefire according to KIO’s call to reach a truce,” Aung Thein said.

A Union Peace Committee has recently been formed consisting of a Vice President and MPs to talk with ethnic armed groups to reach permanent ceasefires in accordance with 3-phase directives of the President, he added.

The committee is also responsible for garnishing support from various government agencies, military and the parliament, civil society organisations, plus experts and intellectuals to partake in the peace process.

The escalating conflict in Kachin State has forced more than 165,000 people into refugee camps: more than 100,000 in the government-controlled area and at least 65,000 in the area controlled by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the armed wing of the KIO.

“It is a great concern that the humanitarian situation in Kachin State is worsening as a result of the conflict while access to humanitarian aid in conflict areas and along the border [between China] and Kachin State is difficult,” the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission said in a statement issued last Friday.

The US Embassy issued a press release on Thursday to express alarm over the conflict in Kachin State.

Citing media and non-governmental organisation reports, the press release stated that government troops were continuing “an offensive in the vicinity of the Kachin Independence Army headquarters in Laiza” despite the ceasefire announced last week.

“The United States strongly opposes the ongoing fighting, which has resulted in civilian casualties and undermined efforts to advance national reconciliation,” it said.

Washington also said it was “deeply concerned about the safety of civilians in the area” and repeated its call to allow “unhindered access to those in need of assistance from the United Nations and international humanitarian agencies”.

The Myanmar Foreign Ministry, however, issued a counter statement criticising the US Embassy for failing to “mention anything about terrorist actions and atrocities committed by the Kachin Independent Army against the innocent people, destruction of life and property and abduction, but on the other hand, elaborating the events as if only the Myanmar Government and the Tatmadaw launched an offensive.”

The ministry also objected to the usage of “Burma” in the statement made earlier by the US Embassy to Myanmar regarding the conflicts in Kachin State.

Although US President Barack Obama has addressed the country as “Myanmar” during his visit to the country and at the Asean-US in Cambodia in November, the US Embassy has continued to use “Burma”, “Burmese Government”, and “Burmese Military” – terms not in line with international ethics, the ministry’s statement said.

“Myanmar hopes that the US Embassy will avoid in future actions that may affect mutual respect, mutual understanding and cooperation which have recently been restored between the two countries,” it said.