Ex-KIO leader Dr. Tu Ja endorses Kachin Technical Team

Dr. Tu Ja, former Vice-president No. 2 of KIO.

In an interview conducted yesterday, Dr. Tu Ja, a former senior member of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) told the Kachin News Group that he welcomes and fully endorses the KIO's creation of a Technical Team (Machyoi Hpaji Rapdaw in Kachin) which will be based in the Kachin state capital Myitkyina, as part of the KIO's recent 5-point agreement with the government.

Dr. Tu Ja told KNG that he believes that now is the time for the Kachin public to take advantage of the recent decrease in the conflict in Kachin state and participate in the Kachin peace process.

The Former KIO leader was invited to a two day meeting held July 9 to 10 in Myitkyina which saw the members of the KIO's Technical Team sit down with Kachin civil society groups and church leaders. The KIO's technical advisory team was led by Gawlu La Awng, the group's Deputy Foreign Affairs representative.

According to Dr. Tu Ja, the technical team will be comprised of four sub-groups.  The ‘A’ group will focus on technical implementation, the ‘B’ group will advise the ‘A’ group. While a ‘C’ group consisting of exiled Kachin will also give advice to the ‘A’ group. According to Dr. Tu Ja The ‘D’ group which will consist of members of the general public and will advise the ‘A’ group as well.

The KIO is now the in the process of forming a Technical Team as agreed to in the recent agreement reached by the KIO and Burmese government on May 30 in Myitkyina. This agreement was not however a ceasefire. And both sides have continued to regularly trade gunfire since the agreement was reached.

“Our issues are the kind of problems that can be solved through political dialogues. The Technical Team using political talks is going to help solve problems by listening to the voices of the Kachin people,” Tu Ja said.

Along time senior figure in the KIO, Dr. Tu Ja resigned from the group in 2009 in order to form the Kachin State Progressive Party (KSPP) which was supposed to contest the 2010 elections. Ultimately Dr. Tu Ja was barred from registering for the 2010 election as either a candidate for the KSPP or as an independent.

He again tried to run during a by election held in April 2012 however the voting for the three seats in Kachin state was canceled by the government due to “security reasons”. Dr. Tu Ja trained as a dentist before he joined the KIO in the late 1960's.