No breakthrough during KIO talks with government

A group photo was taken aftef May 13 in Myitkyina between the government and KIO.

A delegation of senior officials from the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) that included Maj-Gen Sumlut Gun Maw sat down yesterday with their counterparts from Burma's government to take part in negotiations in the Kachin state capital Myitkyina. The KIO delegation was officially led by Sumlut Gam, the group's education minister.

The government's team was led by Minister Aung Min, who was supported by his staff from the Myanmar Peace Centre, a government controlled entity funded by the European Union and the Norwegian government.

The talks were observed by representatives from several other armed groups including the Chin National Front (CNF) and Pa-O National Liberation Organization (PNLO) and the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC). A Chinese diplomat Mr Wang Ying Fan also attended as did the assistant for UN special envoy Vijay Nambiar, Mariann Hagen.

This is the first time both sides have sat down for talks since heavy fighting resumed in south eastern Kachin state in early April. Despite the good will and shaking of hands on display in Myitkyina there was no major breakthrough during the first day of talks yesterday.

Both sides reiterated their previous commitment to establishing a “conflict mediation team”. This is part of the joint monitoring mechanism that was agreed on 10 October, 2013.

The talks will continue on Wednesday however it is not expected that there will be any significant development or breakthrough.

A joint statement released at the end of the first day said “Both sides had a frank discussion about the incidents occurred after the meetings in May and October, 2013 and focused on the avoidance of incidents that can hinder ongoing peace process, upholding the realization of the peace process.”

The statement also reported that another issue that was brought up involved “Matters related to false reports of some media that disrupted mutual understanding were also discussed at the meeting.” This is an apparent reference to a recent Weekly 11 report that misquoted an interview Gun Maw did with the Irrawaddy magazine in such a way as to suggest that KIO wasted independence. The KIO's official policy since the 1970's has to been to push for more autonomy inside the Burmese state.

Min Aung Hlaing not at peace talks
A photo caption accompanying an English language article posted on the website of Radio Free Asia (RFA) on Tuesday incorrectly identified a Burmese army officer sitting with Maj-Gen Gun Maw as Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. In fact the officer in the photo is the Commander of Northern Command Maj- Gen Tun Tun Naung.

Min Aung Hlaing the commander in chief of Burma's armed forces has not attended any of the peace talks with the KIO and has yet to even meet opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, despite repeated requests that he do so. Another senior Burmese military official Lt. Gen. Myint Soe, Chief of the Bureau of Special Operations No. 1 who is in charge of operations in Kachin state, previously attended talks last year but he did not appear on Tuesday either.