Today, ethnic Kachins in Burma's northern region started their four-day long Kachin traditional Manau Dance Festival marking the 61st anniversary of Kachin State Day, which will fall on January 10, 2009. The festival is being held in Kachin National Manau Park in Shatapru quarter in Myitkyina Township, the capital of the state, said participants.

The main Kachin ceasefire group, KIO chairman Salang Kaba Lanyaw Zawng Hra (right) danced the Kachin cultural 'Manau Dance' with university students marking 61th anniversary of Kachin State Day in Myitkyina in northern Burma.

The main Kachin ceasefire group, KIO chairman Salang Kaba Lanyaw Zawng Hra (right) danced the Kachin cultural 'Manau Dance' with university students marking 61th anniversary of Kachin State Day in Myitkyina in northern Burma.
The first Manau Dance programme of the festival started this morning soon after a special Kachin Christian-cultural prayer service was held at 8 a.m. Burma Standard Time.  Kachin leaders from different religious and political organizations attended, participants said.

Rev. Dr. Lahtaw Saboi Jum, former general secretary of Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC), a peace mediator in the ceasefire agreement between Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and Burma's ruling junta and founder of local NGO called Shalom Foundation (SF) led the 'Comprehensive Prayer' service, added a local.
 
This morning's inaugural Manau dance programme was special and the dance was performed by about 600 Kachin university students from Kachin Literature and Culture Committee also called 'Jinghpaw Laili Laika hte Htunghking Hpung' in Kachin from the whole government universities in Burma and Kachin leaders from different organizations wearing different Kachin traditional dresses, said Manau committee sources.

Among Manau dancers in this morning's opening programme were KIO chairman Salang Kaba Lanyaw Zawng Hra, KIO's Vice-president No. II and Chairman of Kachin State Interim Committee Dr. Manam Tu Ja, KIO's Vice-chairman Lt-Gen N'ban La Awng and leaders from other small Kachin peace groups such as New Democratic Army-Kachin based in Pang Wah on the Sino-Burma border in Kachin state, Kachin Defense Army (KDA) based in northeast Shan State, Lasang Awng Wa Peace Group based in Lawayang near Myitkyina, according to local participants.

Burma's ruling junta's Brig-Gen San Htun, deputy commander of Northern Military Command headquarters (Ma Pa Kha) based in Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin state also attend this morning's opening programme.

Local participants told KNG, over 1,000 people including over 200 Jingpo-zu also called Kachin in Burma from China's southwest Yunnan province joined today's Manau Dance programme on the opening day which will continue till January 11, 2009.  The actual program started on January 5, 2009.

During the Manau Festival, Burma's famous Iron Cross music band and singers will perform for three nights starting tonight, said Manau Committee sources.