KIA denies starting war with Burmese Army

The Kachin Independence Organization/Army (KIO/A) has condemned the orchestrated propaganda by the Burmese government that it started the recent conflict in its state run newspaper the New Light Of Myanmar on June 18. The report alleged that the KIA started the war.

KIO’s information department said, “It is totally false propaganda published by the government saying the ‘KIA started the war.’

The statement released on June 20 by KIO said the military offensive was launched by the Burmese government willfully.

KIO/KIA Vice-president Lt-Gen Nban La Awng. Photo: Kachin News Group

KIA detained two officers and one Burmese soldier on June 8, who intruded into their area of control with weapons but later released them given the request from the Northern military commander of the Burmese Army.

The Kachin armed group said they treat prisoners of war well in accordance with the international law and released them with their weapons.

On June 9 at 3 a.m. Burmese troops of Battalion 437 and 348 started firing on the KIA camp in Sang Gang village. And at 5 a.m. they rounded up the KIA liaison officer Chang Ying from Sang Gang and detained him.

The KIA withdrew battalion 15 to Bum Sen post near Sang Gang village and the KIA refrained from shooting back at Burmese troops. However when Burmese troops marched and attacked the KIA camp in Bum Sen at 7 a.m. on June 9 the KIA started firing back in self defence, said the statement.

In an act of sheer brutality the Burmese Army killed KIA’s Lance Corporal Chang Ying, who they abducted from the liaison office on June 9.

The Burmese Army lied about the incident of the dead officer, Chang Ying, telling KIA that the officer died from injuries during fighting. But when the KIA checked his body, they found several marks of injuries and signs of gruesome torture on the whole body, including stab wounds.

“They are lying. They killed him by torturing him severely, when we treated their soldiers well,” said the statement.

KIO also said the happenings before war erupted after they were approached by Burmese troops in their areas of control the first time, requesting entry into the territory for setting up temporary camps to check on the hydropower plant’s security. But later they did not want to move out of the areas. Instead Burmese troops ordered KIA to shift their army camp to other places.

The Burmese Army sent reinforcement to KIO areas with an additional 11 battalions and ordered KIA to leave their Bum Sen camp giving them a deadline of 12 p.m. on June 11. The government troops started their military offensive against KIA, which had no choice but to defend itself.

“The only objective of the Tatmadaw in launching attacks on the KIA was to protect its members and import hydropower to the nation without any intention of aggression or oppression,” said the state run media the New Light of Myanmar.

However sources from inside Kachin State said, rape, killing, torture and porter usage of civilians by Burmese soldiers are occurring throughout the state.

The Thailand based Kachin Women’s Association Thailand (KWAT) said, “at least six women and girls have been raped by Burmese soldiers, and three were killed after rape,” in the statement released on June 17.