3 villagers killed in fighting in Kachin state's Mansi township

Burmese soldiers

Three villagers were killed by fighting in Mai Hkawng village, in eastern Kachin state's Mansi township, on the afternoon of Wednesday September 23rd at 5:30 PM, the Kachin News Group has learned.

NDAK chief bars NLD from campaigning in his fiefdom in Kachin state

Long time New Democratic Army-Kachin leader (NDAK) Zahkung Ting Ying (also spelled Za Khun Ting Ring) has barred candidates from Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) from campaigning in territory he has long ruled over in north eastern Kachin state.

Heavy fighting between KIO and army reported in Mansi township

KIA soildiers take position at a frontline near its Laiza headquarters in Kachin State,Norther Burma

The Kachin News Group has learned that heavy fighting between Burma army troops and those loyal to the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) broke out Monday morning in Mansi township in eastern Kachin state. The clashes took place in Laika Zup Ja village, two miles away from Mai Hkawng village.

IMF calls Central Bank of Myanmar's capacity “weak”

Buying and selling of Hpakant jade from Burma's northern kachin state es often done by Chinese Yuan rather than Burmese kyat

In a country update released on Friday the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned that the Central Bank of Myanmar's (CBM) “regulatory and supervisory capacity is still relatively weak”. The Washington based organization did however praise what it described as the “ongoing liberalization of the financial sector” which includes the recent Burmese government's decision to allow 9 foreign owned banks to operate inside the country.

UK mining firm withdraws permit for jade area in Kachin state

 Aurasian Minerals Plc (AuM) a British mining firm that last year had applied for a mineral exploration permit in a jade mining area in Burma announced earlier this month that it had withdrawn the exploration permit citing a delay in a new national mining law. In an article published by the Irrawaddy magazine on Friday September 18th the firm acknowledged that its permit applications were for Kachin state, something previously unacknowledged by the company.

KIO's N'ban La meets Thein Sein as clashes continue

KIO's N'ban La meets Thein Sein as clashes continue

During a visit to the Burmese capital Naypyidaw last week, Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) vice chair General N’Ban La met with President Thein Sein on September 9th, in what appears to be the first time the two men have met since the conflict began in June 2011. The veteran KIO leader was in Naypyidaw as part of a delegation of senior leaders from ethnic armed groups including the Shan State Progressive Party (SSPP), the Karen National Union the New Mon State Party (NMSP) and the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), groups. N'ban La was joined by Dr La Ja, the KIO's general secretary.

KIO gives 100 million Kyat for Burma's Chin State flood relief

KIO Chairman Zawng Hra

The Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) donated 100 million (aprox US $90,000) Kyat to assist with flood relief in Chin State last week. The donation was made by the KIO to the Chin National Front (CNF) which will use the funds to distribute relief in flood affected areas in Chin state. The CNF leadership has publicly thanked the KIO for its generosity.

Kachin MMA fighter's Burmese debut denied due to visa trouble

Aung La N Sang

Aung La N Sang, the US based Kachin mix martial arts (MMA) fighter says he was unable to take part in the “Kingdom of Warriors” MMA event held in Rangoon earlier this month because of visa issues. In an interview with a MMA focused website, MMA Latest, Aung La N Sang explained that Burmese embassy officials in Singapore denied his request to come home.

KIO vice chairman says army's Putao offensive not helping peace process

General N'ban La Awng, Vice-Chairman of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) met with the Burmese government's chief negotiator in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai on Sunday for talks. N'ban La and his colleagues KIO Joint General Secretary Dr La Ja as well as the Chairman of the Karen National People's Party Abel Tweed took part in the informal discussion with the Burmese government's chief negotiator Aung Min relating to the National Ceasefire Agreement (NCA).

Airstrikes, clashes in Kachin state's Putao district displace civilians

Airstrikes,clashes in Kachin state's Putao district displace civilians

More than 1,000 Kachin civilians have been forced to flee their homes since the Tatmadaw (Burma's armed forces) carried out airstrikes on positions held by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) near the village of Mali Yang in northern Kachin state last Saturday July 11th.

UK mining firm looking to explore in Burmese jade area expects permit delay

Aurasian Minerals Plc (AuM) a British mining firm that has applied for a mineral exploration permit in a jade mining area in Burma has told its shareholders that it expects the permitting process to take some time. This admission was disclosed in a statement to shareholders issued last month that was penned by the firm's Non-Executive Chairman, Bruce Kay. Kay's statement was published in Aurasian's Annual Report.

Tay Za's wife removed from US sanctions list, could billionaire be next?

Photo: Tay Za (right) billionaire mountain climbing enthusiast and arms dealer

The spouse of Burmese tycoon Tay Za has been removed from the US Burma sanctions list, according to a brief statement issued this week by the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), an entity which administers sanctions on behalf of the US government.

Burma Army accused of killing 103 year old Kachin women in Kachin state

 A censored Photo of the dead body of 103 years old Da Shi Hka found near her village in Kachin state.(Credit Free Burma Rangers)

A 103 year old Kachin women from Mahtek village was shot and killed on March 21 along with her son by army troops operating in Kachin state's Mansi township according to a statement issued by the Free Burma Rangers (FBR), a Christian humanitarian organization that is well known for operating in difficult to reach places in Burma's conflict areas.

Kachin state legislature tosses out question on stalled Myitsone dam

Myitsone, also locally Mali-N'Mai Zup at Irrawaddy River concluence , 27 miles norther of kachin state's capital Myitkyina, Northern Burma.aption

During a recent sitting of the state’s legislature, officially known as the Kachin State Hluttaw, officials from the Kachin state government refused to provide any details about the status of the stalled Myitsone dam and other large scale hydro projects set to be built in Burma’s most northern state.

British firm applies to search for minerals in Burmese jade areas

The British mining firm Aurasian Minerals Plc (AuM) announced in an update to shareholders in January that this past December it had delivered "three applications for mineral exploration licenses to the Myanmar Mining Authorities." Though the firm did not say where in Burma these applications were made it did reveal that the applications were made in areas that according to the company there exists "jade and gem mining concessions".