China blocks US, UK from Kachin peace talks
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Due to objections from China, the US and the UK will not send observers to next week's peace talks between the government and the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) in Myitkyina, said San Aung of the Peace Coordinating Group.
Despite the representatives of the US and UK not being able to participate in the talks, Vijay Nambiar, the UN secretary-general’s special adviser to Myanmar, and Chinese delegates will attend, San Aung said.
“The KIO can guarantee that strong pledges will be achieved if the US and the UK participate in the peace talks. We can also do that. We have to monitor how much improvement we will see with the participation of the UN and China in the peace talks,” San Aung said.
In April, the KIO invited the US and the UK to participate in the talks, but China immediately raised objections. Despite the US and the UK’s absence from the negotiations, the KIO has agreed to proceed, fearing the peace talks would collapse, San Aung said.
All nine recognised ethnic armed groups in Myanmar have been invited to attend the peace talks. It is not known yet whether they will do so.
The government and the KIO have agreed in principle to go on with the peace talks in Myitkyina, said Dr Min Zaw Oo, director for ceasefires at the Myanmar Peace Centre said.
Ethnic groups already invited to the talks are the KNU, the KNPP, the CNF, the PNLO, the NMSP, the SSPP, the UWSP, the RCSS and the NDAA.
The two-month-long peace talks were earlier planned to open in Myitkyina on April 6, but had to be postponed as China objected to the participation of the UK and the US. The peace talks are due to resume in Myitkyina on Tuesday.
