Tuesday, 17 January 2012 21:18 Aye Lae
Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – It is more urgent to talk about political issues, a cease-fire agreement can wait, says the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO).
The KIO said that it would meet with Burmese government peace delegation members on Wednesday to talk about the problems that led to renewed fighting in the first place.
KIO spokesman La Nang said its peace team would meet with a 13-member Union-level peace led by Aung Thaung in Ruili, China.
Unlike other ethnic armed groups, the KIO said it would not agree on a cease-fire first, La Nang told Mizzima.
“A cease-fire is only the political consequences,” he said. “We will focus on political talks which will be transparent, concrete and offer a clear path, and we will discuss how to resolve these political issues,” La Nang said.
The KIO signed a cease-fire agreement with the government in 1994, but renewed fighting erupted in June 2011.
“We had a lesson in the past,” said La Nang “After getting a cease-fire agreement first and resolving political issues later will have had no guarantees. This is the bitter lesson we learned from our experience.”
A KIO central committee on Tuesday, said, “The KIO will start talks with the Union Government Peace Making Group to achieve equality and self-determination rights through political means and political negotiations.”
Secretary Pado Saw David Taw of the Karen National Union (KNU), which signed a cease-fire agreement with the government on January 12, said, “I wish the KIO would consider a cease-fire because negotiations while fighting will have difficulties. I think a cease-fire first and political issues later would be a better way for them.”
This will be the first talk between the KIO and the government following the latest round of fighting.
Burma political affairs observer Aung Naing Oo said, “After reaching cease-fire agreements with the KNU, the KIO will be left as the sole fighting force against the government in practice. So the KIO is isolated and pressure is increasing.
“Both sides are trying to talk, but the difficulties still exist. The government and KIO have their own positions and policies, but the field-level troops also have problems and difficulties too. It’s difficult to say whether this talk will succeed or fail,” he said.
The KIO delegation has left for Ruili. The government delegation will arrive on Wednesday, La Nang said.
He said the two sides had to arrange a neutral venue on foreign land because the fighting is continuing around KIO headquarters in Laiza on the border.
The Union Peace Making Group formed by the Parliament is led by Aung Thaung; a second peace-making group formed by President Thein Sein is led by Railway Minister Aung Min.
The peace-making group led by Aung Thaung has signed cease-fire agreements with the United Wa State Army and the Mongla group.
The peace-making group led by Aung Min has signed cease-fire agreements with the KNU, the Chin National Front, and the Shan State Army (South).
The following are members of the two Union peace-making teams:
Union Level Peace Making Group (Parliament):
1. Aung Thaung (Team leader)
2. Thein Zaw (Ethnic Affairs and Domestic Peace Making Committee Chairman) Deputy team leader
3. Aung Kyi
4. Ohn Myint (Cooperatives and Livestock Minister) member
5. Win Tun (Environment Conservation and Forestry Minister) member
6. Lajun Ngan Sai (Kachin State Government, Chief Minister) member
7. Major General Zaw Win (Deputy Minister, Border Affairs Ministry) member
8. Brigadier General Aung Myat Oo (Deputy Commander, Northern Region Command) member
9. Tun Thein a.k.a. Tun Tun (MP, Manhsi constituency) member
10. Khet Htein Nan (House of Nationality MP, Myitkyina constituency) member
11. Colonel Kyaw Soe Win (Office of C-in-C of Defence Services) member
12. Colonel Than Aung (Kachin State government Border Affairs Minister) member (not included in this group constituted by President Office)
13. Colonel Win Then (General Staff Officer, Northeast Command HQ)
Union Level Peace Making Group constituted by President ‘s Office on December 12 for holding peace talk with ethnic Kachin armed groups
1. Aung Thaung (MP) Team leader
2. Aung Min (Railway Minister) Deputy team leader
3. Thein Zaw (Ethnic Affairs and Domestic Peace Building Committee chairman) Deputy team leader
4. Ohn Myint (Cooperatives and Livestock Minister) member
5. Win Tun (Environment Conservation and Forestry Union Minister) member
6. Lajun Ngan Sai (Kachin State Government, Chief Minister) member
7. Major General Zeya Aung (Commander, Northern Regional Command) member
8. Major General Zaw Win (Deputy Minister, Border Affairs Ministry) member
9. Tun Thein a.k.a. Tun Tun (House of People MP, Manhsi constituency) member
10. Khet Htein Nan (House of Nationality MP, Myitkyina constituency) member
– Colonel Kyaw Soe Win (Office of C-in-C of Defence Services) member
The KIO said that it would meet with Burmese government peace delegation members on Wednesday to talk about the problems that led to renewed fighting in the first place.
KIO spokesman La Nang said its peace team would meet with a 13-member Union-level peace led by Aung Thaung in Ruili, China.
Unlike other ethnic armed groups, the KIO said it would not agree on a cease-fire first, La Nang told Mizzima.
“A cease-fire is only the political consequences,” he said. “We will focus on political talks which will be transparent, concrete and offer a clear path, and we will discuss how to resolve these political issues,” La Nang said.
The KIO signed a cease-fire agreement with the government in 1994, but renewed fighting erupted in June 2011.
“We had a lesson in the past,” said La Nang “After getting a cease-fire agreement first and resolving political issues later will have had no guarantees. This is the bitter lesson we learned from our experience.”
A KIO central committee on Tuesday, said, “The KIO will start talks with the Union Government Peace Making Group to achieve equality and self-determination rights through political means and political negotiations.”
Secretary Pado Saw David Taw of the Karen National Union (KNU), which signed a cease-fire agreement with the government on January 12, said, “I wish the KIO would consider a cease-fire because negotiations while fighting will have difficulties. I think a cease-fire first and political issues later would be a better way for them.”
This will be the first talk between the KIO and the government following the latest round of fighting.
Burma political affairs observer Aung Naing Oo said, “After reaching cease-fire agreements with the KNU, the KIO will be left as the sole fighting force against the government in practice. So the KIO is isolated and pressure is increasing.
“Both sides are trying to talk, but the difficulties still exist. The government and KIO have their own positions and policies, but the field-level troops also have problems and difficulties too. It’s difficult to say whether this talk will succeed or fail,” he said.
The KIO delegation has left for Ruili. The government delegation will arrive on Wednesday, La Nang said.
He said the two sides had to arrange a neutral venue on foreign land because the fighting is continuing around KIO headquarters in Laiza on the border.
The Union Peace Making Group formed by the Parliament is led by Aung Thaung; a second peace-making group formed by President Thein Sein is led by Railway Minister Aung Min.
The peace-making group led by Aung Thaung has signed cease-fire agreements with the United Wa State Army and the Mongla group.
The peace-making group led by Aung Min has signed cease-fire agreements with the KNU, the Chin National Front, and the Shan State Army (South).
The following are members of the two Union peace-making teams:
Union Level Peace Making Group (Parliament):
1. Aung Thaung (Team leader)
2. Thein Zaw (Ethnic Affairs and Domestic Peace Making Committee Chairman) Deputy team leader
3. Aung Kyi
4. Ohn Myint (Cooperatives and Livestock Minister) member
5. Win Tun (Environment Conservation and Forestry Minister) member
6. Lajun Ngan Sai (Kachin State Government, Chief Minister) member
7. Major General Zaw Win (Deputy Minister, Border Affairs Ministry) member
8. Brigadier General Aung Myat Oo (Deputy Commander, Northern Region Command) member
9. Tun Thein a.k.a. Tun Tun (MP, Manhsi constituency) member
10. Khet Htein Nan (House of Nationality MP, Myitkyina constituency) member
11. Colonel Kyaw Soe Win (Office of C-in-C of Defence Services) member
12. Colonel Than Aung (Kachin State government Border Affairs Minister) member (not included in this group constituted by President Office)
13. Colonel Win Then (General Staff Officer, Northeast Command HQ)
Union Level Peace Making Group constituted by President ‘s Office on December 12 for holding peace talk with ethnic Kachin armed groups
1. Aung Thaung (MP) Team leader
2. Aung Min (Railway Minister) Deputy team leader
3. Thein Zaw (Ethnic Affairs and Domestic Peace Building Committee chairman) Deputy team leader
4. Ohn Myint (Cooperatives and Livestock Minister) member
5. Win Tun (Environment Conservation and Forestry Union Minister) member
6. Lajun Ngan Sai (Kachin State Government, Chief Minister) member
7. Major General Zeya Aung (Commander, Northern Regional Command) member
8. Major General Zaw Win (Deputy Minister, Border Affairs Ministry) member
9. Tun Thein a.k.a. Tun Tun (House of People MP, Manhsi constituency) member
10. Khet Htein Nan (House of Nationality MP, Myitkyina constituency) member
– Colonel Kyaw Soe Win (Office of C-in-C of Defence Services) member
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