KIO Joins Conference Under UNFC Delegation

KIO Joins Conference Under UNFC Delegation

The Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) fielded 25 people from its own ranks and affiliate groups to join a United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) delegation during the Union Peace Conference (also called 21st Century Panglong Conference) that started today.

The list of their names in Kachin language was delivered yesterday in statement issued by Maj Gen Gun Maw, KIO vice-chairman (2).

Gen N’ Ban La, KIO vice-chairman and also UNFC chairman, as well as other leaders were included, but for reasons unknown Gun Maw’s name wasn’t on the list.

Members of KIO women’s organisations, the Myitkyina-based Kachin Peace Creation Group and Kachin National Consultative Assembly, were included.

The UNFC recently demanded that the Burma Army halt its current offensives against the KIO, giving its leaders the chance to attend the peace conference

The KIO leaders attending the five-day peace conference as a member group of the UNFC aren’t planning to engage in discussions, but merely joining to keep the door open for future political dialogue with the government, according to a statement released by Maj Gen on 27 August.