Kachin MP urges the parliament to form peace mediator

Published on Sunday, 20 January 2013 22:27

Khet Htain Nan, MP of Constituency No. 1 from Kachin State, urged the Lower House to form a peace mediator team to bring peace the war-torn state, where arm conflict erupted since 2011.

After eleven times of peace negotiation with Kachin Independence Organization/Army (KIO/KIA) since June 2011, there was no sign of peace in the ethnic state, he said.

The peace mediators or negotiation team should be comprised State-level dignitaries, reliable persons from Parliament and leaders from national races who gain trust from both sides, Khet Htain Nan proposed in the lower house session on January 18.

“While parliament sessions were paused, we visited the camps of internally displaced persons in Bhamo, Waingmaw, Momauk, Mansi, Putao and Panwa areas. These internal refugees, on the verge of tears, requested us not to neglect their miseries, and to make peace urgently,” he said.

All the people are expecting to solve civil conflicts through ‘political solution’, he said.

The arm fighting is escalating due to lack of reliable peace negotiators to work with the ethnic, he said. The arm conflict resulted in hundred thousand people fleeing through the state to seek safe places, he said.

The previous military regime managed to have peace with the KIO for 17 years since 1994 as it had reliable peace negotiation, he said.

Myanmar Peace Centre director Dr. Min Zaw Oo, however, said his independent organisation believed that the government would accelerate peace talks this year to end conflict with armed ethnic forces.

Clashes between government and KIA troops erupted in June 2011, ending a 17-year truce. Nearly 2,500 small and large clashes have occurred since then, with some reportedly claiming civilian lives.

The conflict intensified last month after the army told the KIA on December 23 to withdraw all of its troops from the Myitkyina-Bahmo route by December 25. The KIA rejected the ultimatum.

Government’s military columns started to raid the KIA outposts in Lajayan region, including Point 771 on December 27 as KIA troops had committed destructive acts such as blocking the Lajayan government army camp, ambushing army soldiers, blocking Myitkyina-Bhamo Union Highway and blowing up bridges since March last year.

The government's information team released an eight-point statement on January 18, saying that the army has ended its attacks on rebels in northern Kachin State with effect on the same day.

The army chief also said that the army follows the president's order to stop attacking except defending themselves.