Senior representatives from 16 of Burma's armed ethnic groups this week arrived in Laiza, the Kachin Independence Organization's (KIO) de facto headquarters, for talks aimed at solidifying a united rebel front in advance of further negotiations between the armed groups and the central government. The talks began on Thursday and are expected to last until early next week.
KIO officials told the Kachin News Group (KNG) that they would like to see a common position among all of Burma's armed groups in order to have more leverage during negotiations over the government's proposed national ceasefire agreement. This may prove difficult, however, as some armed groups have very different ideas regarding how to negotiate with Thein Sein's nominally civilian government.
Gen Mutu Say Poe, chairman of the Karen National Union (KNU), is just one of the many high profile guests who arrived in Laiza over the last two days via Myitkyina in a convoy organized by the Kachin Peace Creation Group, an organization headed by Kachin businessmen Yup Zau Hkawng.
Others who made the trek to Laiza include New Mon State Party (NMSP) chief Nai Hong Sar, who also serves as secretary of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), an alliance of armed groups known to be relatively uncompromising but whose membership overlaps with the NCCT because many armed groups are represented on both the NCCT and the UNFC.
UN Special Envoy Vijay Nambiar is expected to make an appearance later this week to observe the proceedings, and a representative from China may also attend, although this hasn't been confirmed.
A spokesperson for the United Wa State Army (UWSA)—Burma's largest armed ethnic group—told the Irrawaddy that the UWSA would not be attending the meetings. Some UWSA representatives have attended previous rounds of discussions, but for the most part the Wa stay away from such gatherings. The UWSA's close ally, the Mong La-based National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA) is also not expected to attend.
