Burma’s Kachin populace vow for autonomy status by Zinn Linn
The strongest ethnic political parties of the Kachin State, the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and the oversea based Kachin National Organization (KNO) have vowed to work in partnership for the people and the country. The leaders of the KIO, the political wing of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), president of KNO and other leaders signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to work together for Burma on January 22 on the Thai-Burma border, Kachin News Group [KNG] said.
The MOU was signed by N’Ban La Awng (Vice President of KIO), Gauri Zau Seng (Vice Chairman of KIO), Lahpai La (Central Committee member of KIO) and Duwa Howa Jala (Chairman of KNO), Duwa Bawmwang La Raw (President of KNO) and Dr. Lahtaw Naw Lawn (General Secretary of KNO).
Following a two-day meeting, the representatives from inside and outside agreed to cooperate with each other for the sake of the Kachin people living inside and outside Burma on a six-point political program, according to the statements released by both sides on January 22.
The main political thrust will be freedom and justice for the Kachin people, where the focus will be on peaceful resolution through political negotiations and dialogue based on the spirit of the Panglong Agreement, the statement said.
The KIA was founded in 1961 to fight for a free Kachin state, it has engaged in fierce combating with the Burmese military regime’s armed forces until the ceasefire agreement was reached in 1994. even though the KIA was allowed to maintain arms and control over parts of the Kachin state, the political deadlock for autonomy remains unsettled.
The movement of the Kachin parties will be devoted to federalism for all people in Burma including Burman, Chin, Kachin, Karen, Karenni, Mon, Rakhai, Shan and other various nationalities.
On 18 October last year, Burmese troops raided offices of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in Kachin State and detained at least two KIA officers, increasing the threatening of combating in the northern part of the country just a few days ahead of the first elections in 20 years.
The raid, on the KIA liaison offices in Mohnyin Township, came four days after the Burmese state-controlled media labeled the ethnic Kachin’s 8,000-strong army as “insurgents,” the first occasion it has used this label since the group’s ceasefire agreement with the regime in 1994. The cease-fire ended the Kachins’ decades-long armed struggle for autonomy.
The junta’s state run newspapers reported on October 15th 2010 the KIA was publicly labeled “Insurgents” by the Burmese military for the first time after the KIA mine killed two civilians and injured one.
On October 17th, the KIA released a statement saying it plants security mines around its territories for self-protection, but it takes pre-cautions aimed at protecting local people. But, the tension increased between the military junta and the KIO since ahead of the junta-led countrywide elections.
When the junta and the KIO officially declared the cease-fire agreement, the truce was based on creation of peaceful situation in Kachin State under an armistice and economic development in the related areas and an obligation to work for peace in the Union of Burma.
The KIA and its allies, for instance the United Wa State Army and the National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA) or the Mongla group rejected the junta’s Border Guard Force plan under the 2008 constitution saying it could damage promise of ethnic rights.
In the meantime, the military junta had blocked the November elections in the KIO’s areas on account of continuing tension in the area. The prospect of the polls looked like unable to win in the KIO’s territories, according to election observers.
Currently, tension between ethnic ceasefire groups and the Burma’s junta troops has escalated since groups such as the KIO, UWSA, 1st Brigade of the SSA-N, National Democratic Alliance Army-Eastern Shan State (NDAA-ESS), the NMSP and DKBA’s 5th Brigade refused to turn into the Border Guard Force. BGF program is a junta’s plan that the ethnic ceasefire groups have to let their troops under junta’s military command.
Several Burmese villagers have fled into neighboring Thailand after renewed fighting between junta’s army and ethnic Karen rebels along the Thai-Burma border since last November witnesses and observers said.
http://asiancorrespondent.com/47055/burma’s-kachin-populace-vow-for-autonomy-status/
