Burmese government launches psychological warfare against KIA

The Burmese government is launching psychological warfare against the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) by distributing false messages about the KIA to people in Kachin State, local people said.

Leaflets and posters containing government propaganda and false messages about the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and its armed-wing, the KIA, have been distributed in Myitkyina, Manmaw (Bhamo), Waingmaw and Hpakant since early August, said witnesses.

The anti-KIO/A leaflets were distributed and pasted in Manmaw, the second largest city of Kachin State on August 20, September 3 and 5, according to residents.

A resident told the Kachin News Group, “The material was mainly distributed in Kachin communities in the downtown.  It confused some people but some knew it was the government’s false propaganda.”

In the government’s propaganda, the KIO/A was described as preventing a peace agreement and rejecting peace talks with the government.

The government also tries to create confusion by describing the KIO/A as a rebel or a terrorist group and saying on the leaflets there are internal fractions, killings and quarrelling over money among KIO/A leaders.

Brig-Gen Gun Maw, KIA’s Vice Chief of Staff explained to BBC Burmese Service on Tuesday there are no internal factions or killing at the KIO Laiza headquarters in eastern Kachin State.

Local civilians said the government psychological warfare is meant to counter the KIO’s CD distributed to people in Kachin State in August, which reported on the recent failure of peace negotiations between the KIO and government delegates.

The KIO/A, the largest ethnic armed group in Burma after the United Wa State Army (UWSA), has gained majority support of the Kachin people because it rejected the government-controlled Border Guard Force (BGF) and called for restoring a genuine federal union in Burma with equal rights for majority and minority ethnic groups based on the 1947 Panglong Agreement.

An August 27 statement issued by the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), the ethnic armed and political alliance led by the KIO, instructed that each armed group can discuss its attitude with the military-controlled government but the discussion of a ceasefire and political issues have to be decided upon only by UNFC delegates.

The new Burmese government held its first press conference in Naypyidaw on August 12 when it accused the KIO/A of being an “insurgent” and “terrorist group”.