KIO Central Committee Statement, July 15, 2011

Summary of KIO Central Committee Statement (not official translation)

KIO Central Committee Statement, July 15, 2011

The KIO Central Committee met with close to 150 civilian leaders and representatives at Laiza during July 12-13; the purpose was to ask what the Kachin people would want their leaders, the KIA/KIO to do in light of the momentary ceasing of hostilities with the forces of Thein Sein's government. The response, in raw, emotional terms, was to fight on for the rights of the people. The total absence of trustworthiness on the part of the military government is fully documented in the memory of Kachin people ranging over three generations now. Calm then emerged and the following political statements were framed with eventual unanimous consent.

Kachin people have not seen any results from the numerous previous peace talks or dialogs of the past; they want truly meaningful dialog this time. They want the government to make firm commitment, with concrete and transparent evidence of good faith by agreeing to a dialog that guarantees that the interests of both sides are clearly and fairly presented. Kachin people continue to believe, and have expressed through their leaders in the KIO/KIA, that the problems of the Union are political; fair and just political solutions must be found before there can be lasting peace and stability.

The KIO leaders reiterate that they serve the wish of the Kachin people, and should a dialog toward genuine peace and just solutions ensue, the leaders ask all Kachin people to be part of that political process. The KIO will continue to lead as mandated, and the Kachin people must be part of the movement that the KIO leads.

The Kachin people will take the stand, as iterated above, as a member of the United Nationalities Federal Council; they will expect the UNFC to be in any and all dialogs. "We will take our position together with the other partners of the UNFC, as one group."

The KIO expresses sincere gratitude to the all community leaders and representatives for always being there to answer its call for advice and discussion.

Notes and comments

The onset of hostility initiated by the junta government forces in June this year brought about the kind of rage and contempt that was universally felt by Kachins and hard to conceal. This emotional reaction stemmed from the experience of long oppression, especially since the abrogation of the rights of nationalities of the Union of Burma as framed in Panglong Agreement, 1947, and the founding constitution of 1948. The slogan through most of the recent meeting at Laiza was to fight on for justice and rights. When the percentage breakdown came out about how practically all civilian leaders advised continued armed resistance over any empty ceasefire and dialog, many of the men and women in uniform broke down in tears out of pride and happiness.

As the meeting progressed, the direction toward deriving the strongest possible political statement became the central focus. This was a poignant moment when anger was effectively transformed into reason. Two notable features of this KIO statement are, first, the total commitment of Kachin civilian leaders in this process, and the call of the KIO leaders to the Kachin people that for this change to have any meaning their leadership must be supported by an effective movement of all Kachins. Kachins reaffirmed national unity as well as the unity of political purpose.

The second significant feature is the emplacement of the strong momentum of Kachin people and KIO/KIA of the moment into the bulwark upon which the United Nationalities Federal Council had been founded. The KIO was instrumental in the founding of the UNFC, and now they have invested in it the identity and energy of the long Kachin struggle for justice and rights. The political agenda of the UNFC, one offering genuine federal democracy, stands head-and-shoulders above the "democracy" of President Thein Sein's governing organization. The Kachin political transformation will surely affect the entire UNFC.

Prepared for the Overseas Kachin Association News Website by SK.