Latest round of Burma's peace talks end with little progress

 President Thein Sein's and his chief negotiator Aung Min have been pushing to secure a national ceasefire deal with all of Burma's various armed group before November when dozens of world leaders including US President Barrack Obama will be visiting Burma as part of the ASEAN summit.

Talks between the Burmese government's Union Peace-making Work Committee (UPWC) and the National Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT), a group representing most of Burma's armed ethnic groups, wrapped up on Friday in Rangoon after five days of discussion which proved to be largely fruitless.

Tay Za funded Thai chopper searching for Putao climbers goes missing

A missing Thai chopper in Kachin state's Hkakabo Razi in Putao district. Photo: www.htoo.com

Burmese billionaire Tay Za's search and rescue effort to locate two lost climbers in northern Kachin state appears to have taken a turn for the worst with the controversial blacklisted tycoon's Htoo Foundation now admitting they have lost contact with a helicopter that was chartered to assist with the search. Communication with the helicopter was lost shortly after it left Putao on Saturday. It was carrying three passengers including the Thai pilot.

RFA Kachin Language TV Program, 2014 September 4th Week

Burma army detains KIO officer in western Kachin state

Two Burma Army's Light Infantry Division No. 66 soldiers take security in Hpakant jade mine, western Kachin state

A civilian official from the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and two men he was with were detained by Burma army troops on September 20th in Kamaing sub-township in western Kachin state, according to local people living in the area.

RFA Kachin Language TV Program, 2014 September 3rd Week

UN expert blames civil society groups for Burma's census trouble

UN census expert Paul Cheung blames civil society for census problems (UN photo)

Dr Paul Cheung, who serves as the chair of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) committee advising Burma's government on the recent census believes that civil society and rights groups are to blame for the numerous controversies that arose while Burma's census was being conducted, the first such census in over three decades.

Burmese tycoon Tay Za joins search for missing climbers in Kachin state

Tay Za (pictired right), billionaire mountain climbing enthusiast and arms dealer (Credit Facebook)

Burmese billionaire tycoon Tay Za is leading the search and rescue effort to find two Burmese climbers who appear to have lost their way somewhere on Hkakabo Razi, in northern Kachin state near Putao, AFP reported on Wednesday.

Clashes between Burma army and the KIO largely reduced, says KIO rep

Burmese soldiers of Light Infanty Division No. 66 soldiers secure Hpakant jade mine in Kachin state, northern Burma

Thanks in part to a committee formed between the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and the government that is tasked with reducing tensions in northern Burma, armed clashes between KIO forces and the military have been reduced significantly, said Lahpai Gun Ja, a member of the KIO’s technical team.

UNFC would welcome KNU return to ethnic armed alliance

UNFC chairman and KIO vicd-president Gen. N'ban La speaking to reporters at the 2014 UNFC conference

The recently re-elected chairman of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), a coalition of Burma's ethnic armed groups, says that the Karen National Union (KNU) is welcome to return to the alliance, this after the KNU's chairman and several of his subordinates walked out of a UNFC conference in dramatic fashion last weekend.

RFA Kachin Language TV Program, 2014 September 1st Week

KNU chairman walks out of UNFC conference

Duwa Bawmwang Laraw, head of Foregin Affairs of UNFC and a KIO representative was interviewed byn www.kachinnews.com editor Naw Din on Aug. 30, 2014.

A meeting of representatives from the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), the coalition of Burma's ethnic armed groups was thrown into confusion on Sunday, when the Chairman of the Karen National Union (KNU) and several of his of subordinates walked out of the proceedings at 11 AM.

RFA Kachin Language TV Program, 2014 August 4th Week