A Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) regional civil administrator was arrested with a pistol by the Burmese Military on Monday, April 4 in Burma’s northern Kachin State, KIO officials said.
This latest arrest followed the arrest and detention of three officials of the KIO’s Department of General Administration (DGA), also known as the Civil Administration Department last month.
Malang La San, KIO Administrator of Dingga Bum Township, in Man Win Gyi area, in Manje (Mansi in Burmese) township, Manmaw (Bhamo in Burmese) district, was arrested at a small gambling house in the government-controlled Man Win Gyi, at about 8:30 p.m. local time, by multi-security forces, a KIO official in KIO-controlled Man Win Gyi said.
Before his arrest, the drunk-KIO officer quarreled with other gamblers at the shop and also fired a warning shot into the sky with his pistol to local gambling partners who followed him on the return road, his superiors said.
La San was finally detained after he denied repeated warnings to go back his post by Burmese security forces, said KIO officials.
Since then, he has been incarcerated at the police station in Manje, according to his superiors.
His superior officer told the Thailand-based Kachin News Group today, “This is our mistake. Our Dingga Bum Administrator entered the government-controlled area with a weapon and he repeatedly ignored warnings by Burmese security forces to go back to his post.”
The arrest has not increased tensions between the Burmese Military and the KIO, officials in Man Win Gyi said.
The earlier Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding local travel in Man Win Gyi area, between the KIO and Burmese military authorities, was nullified by La San’s arrest.
Battalion 27 of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the armed-wing of the KIO, is based near Man Win Gyi, where Burmese troops led by Captain Win Htaik from the N’mawk (Momauk in Burmese)-based Light Infantry Battalion No. 437 are operating, KIO official added.
On February 7, KIA soldiers and local militias attacked Burmese troops at Pungling Dinghkru who tried to enter the territory of KIA Battalion 27, based in Balawng Dingsa in Man Win, or Man Win Gyi area. Lt-Col Yin Htwe, a battalion commander of the Mohnyin-based Infantry Battalion No. 15, was killed and several of his troops were injured.
The three KIO civil administrators--- Maraw Brang Mai and Salang Kaba La Seng were arrested at Seng Tawng in Hpakan Jade Mining Township on March 24 by the Burmese Army’s Mogaung-based Infantry Battalion (IB) No. 74. Salang Kaba Yaw Bawm was detained near the Kachin capital, Myitkyina, on March 20 by the Myitkyina-based IB No. 37.
The three captive KIO officers have not been released by the Burmese authorities, said KIO officials at the Laiza headquarters, in eastern Kachin State.
KIO officials in Laiza said it is difficult to save captive KIO members being held in government prisons, because official relations between the KIO and Burmese government have been cut off since September 1, last year, when the KIA refused to transform into the junta-controlled Border Guard Force (BGF).
The Burmese military regime labeled the KIA as “insurgents” on October 15th. However, it has not started an offensive against the KIA/KIO.
