Burma army pushes on amid KIO peace talks

U Aung Min, Burmese peace negotiator (left) and Maj-Gen Gun Maw, KIO Vice Chief of Staff

As talks between Burma's government and representatives of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) continue this week in the border city of Ruili (Shwelli) Burma's military presses on with its advance on KIO controlled territory, according to reports from the field.

The last 48 hours have seen government forces repeatedly direct fire towards Lawa Yang village located near Laiza, according to a report from the Free Burma Rangers, a humanitarian aid group that has traditionally focused its relief efforts on Karen areas of eastern Burma.

On Sunday morning Burma army units stationed at Bum Re bum, northwest of Laiza, fired 4 artillery shells at a neighboring KIA Post.  This despite the fact both sides were slated to meet the next day for talks.

A convoy of more than 40 trucks carrying army reinforcements and supplies was also seen over the weekend heading north past a former KIO check point at Kambaiti (also Kampaiti) located east of Myitkyina. The trucks appeared to be heading towards Pangwa, an area that has seen periods of heavy fighting over the last few months.

Observers on the ground suggest Burma's military is deliberately making provocative gestures in order to provoke the KIO's armed wing into hitting back so that the army can in turn justify more large scale attacks on KIO positions.

An initial round of peace talks between senior leaders from the KIO and their counterparts from the government took place in Ruili on Monday with both sides agreeing to meet again. Unlike a meeting in October in which the KIO only sent mid-level representatives this time the KIO sent Sumlut Gam, a member of the KIO's Central Committee and General Gum Maw, vice chief of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). The government side was led by President Thein Sein's chief Negotiator Aung Min and livestock minister Ohn Myint, both former generals who served in Than Shwe's military regime.

The meeting was also attended by the Karen National Union's (KNU) newly appointed chairman Mu Tu Say Poe and General Secretary Kwe Htoo Win Its unclear what role if any either KNU leaders will have in further talks. Mutu Say Poe is considered to be far closer to Burma's government than any of his predecessors and late last year was briefly expelled from the KNU for unilaterally attending a meeting with Aung Min against the wishes of the KNU's central committee.

Diplomatic officials from China's government also attended the meeting as did representatives of the European Union supported Myanmar Peace Center and Hla Maung Shwe, a businessman affiliated with the Myanmar Egress think tank. Another noted observer was Harn Yawnghwe of the Euro Burma office and son of Burma's first president, Sao Shwe Thaik. A senior representative of the Shan State Army South (SSA), Sai Lu, the group's chief liaison officer also attended.

Monday's meeting appears to be the first time that Chinese officials are known to have attended peace talks between the government and the KIO. Chinese officials have attended many previous rounds of meeting between Burma's government and the United Wa State Army (UWSA), Burma's strongest armed group and a successor to the now defunct Beijing backed Burmese Community Party (BCP).

 

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