The Kachin opposition political organization abroad, known as the Kachin National Organization (KNO), condemns the recent offensive of the Burmese Army against the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), saying it cannot lead to a resolution of Burma’s political crisis.
“Increasing offensives by the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) against ethnic armed groups clearly violates the expressed desire of the international community, ethnic people, Aung San Suu Kyi and pro-democracy groups to realize a resolution of the political crisis through dialogue,” the KNO said in a statement released today.
The Federal system in Burma, formed by all ethnic groups which signed the 1947 Panglong Agreement with Burmese ex-general Aung San, father of Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, has not flourished under military rule.
The government tried to organize the country and involve all ethnic groups with constitutions approved in 1947 and 1974, when they changed the flag of the country.
Then, the regime introduced another constitution in 2008, which has resulted in civil war again in Burma.
One day after the November 7, 2010 general election, Burmese troops fought with troops from the breakaway Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), led by Major Saw Lar Pwe, at Myawaddy, on the Thai-Burma border.
And, the war continues in Karen state between government troops and Karen ethnic armed groups.
The new Burmese government offensives since March 13 against the Shan State Army-North, caused it to join again with the Shan State Army-South after long years of being separated, in Shan State, Eastern Burma.
In Kachin State, fighting broke out June 9 between the KIA and Burmese troops.
The Ethnic Nationalities Council (ENC) of Burma, established in 2005 by ethnic political opposition groups in exile, demanded on June 13 that President Thein Sein stops offensives against ethnic armed groups and conduct peace talks.
President Thein Sein said in his inaugural speech on March 30, “According to our previous experiences, the unification of ethnic people could not possible only with words. We need to construct infrastructure, such as roads, railways, bridges and promote the development of education and health care to unite all ethnic people. By developing of this infrastructure we need to promote the living standard of ethnic people,”
“Civil war will bring nothing but trouble on civilians and destroy their lives and property and create many kinds of social problems,” said the KNO, which was formed in 1999 by Kachin people abroad.
