Thuta Linn — The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) will not launch any attacks or cause disturbances during the election period, says U Dau Khar spokesperson of the KIA’s Technical Advisory Team based in Myitkyina.
“We don’t have any plan to give special aid for the election, but the central [headquarters] has already issued an order to refrain from making any disturbances,” U Dau Khar told BNI.
Over 210 village tracts in Kachin State are included in the list of areas where elections will not be held, according to an announcement released by the Union Election Commission (UEC) on October 12th.
The UEC stated that these areas have been excluded due to an inability to hold a free and fair elections and a lack of security.
However, during a meeting between the Vice Senior General Soe Win, deputy commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces and Kachin State Democracy Party’s (KSDP) chairman Dr Manam Tu Jar held on October 13, the Vice Senior General told the chairman that the Burmese army did not intentionally launch the attacks when skirmishes broke out between the two forces. He claimed the Burmese army was making patrols for regional security.
Although the nationwide ceasefire agreement was signed on October 15th, battles resumed between the Burmese Army and the KIA. The KIA and its political wing the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) did not participate in the signing of the ceasefire agreement.
“We will not disturb the election, but we cannot take security [duties] concerning the election,” said U Dau Khar.
UEC’s chairman U Tin Aye has officially announced that he would ask the Burmese army not to start fighting Interviews with parities running in Kachin State suggest that many are concerned that their could be a resumption of clashes during the election period and the possibility of this situation preventing the holding of the election.
Translated by Thida Linn with editing by BNI staff.
