KIO rejects ceasefire unless govt gives military guarantees
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The Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) will not sign the nationwide ceasefire deal later this month unless it gets political and military guarantees from the government, said Hsan Aung of the Peace Creation Group (PCG).
Three days of talks between the government and the KIO begin today in Myitkyina, Kachin State, with both sides aiming to thrash out a deal ahead of the ceasefire signing.
“It is too early to confirm the KIO’s participation in the nationwide ceasefire deal signing ceremony. It depends on how much the government is willing to provide military guarantees,” Hsan Aung said.
“The KIO wants political and military guarantees from the government. It took 17 years to initiate political dialogue, even as battles continued. Accordingly, the KIO has lost trust in the government,” he added.
In his national radio address on October 1, President Thein Sein suggested that political dialogue depended on a ceasefire deal.
“As soon as we have signed the nationwide ceasefire deal, a framework for political dialogue will have to be negotiated and discussed in order to strengthen the talks,” he said.
The president added that the Union-level peacemaking committee and various ethnic political parties would negotiate the frames and principles for political dialogue.
Wa refuse deal
The government has failed to convince the United Wa State Party/United Wa State Army (UWSP/UWSA) to sign a nationwide ceasefire agreement, according to sources close to the UWSA. The Wa refused to sign an agreement but left open the possibility of attending the signing ceremony, said Aung Kyaw Zaw, a military observer.
