The Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), one of Burma's largest ethnic armed groups in the county, observed the organization’s 5th Martyrs Day, today in its controlled areas in Kachin State and Northeast Shan State, KIO sources said.

Hundreds of people in the KIO headquarters in Laiza on the Sino-Burma border in Kachin State and Mai Ja Yang controlled areas on the border attended, said participants.

In Laiza, Martyrs Day was held today from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Kachin traditional Sinpraw Majoi Manau compound. The KIO chairman Lanyaw Zawng Hra's speech was read out for 10 minutes by Sumlut Gam, the in-charge of KIO Education Department to over 700 hundred attendees including students, teachers and health staff, said participants.

According to attendees the KIO chairman's speech honoured the dedication of the fallen leader of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the armed-wing of KIO, G.O.C Lahtaw Zau Seng with other co-founders of KIA Pungshwi Zau Seng, Lahtaw Zau Tu, the younger brother of G.O.C Zau Seng and the warrior Lahtaw Zau Dan, the youngest brother of G.O.C Zau Seng.

The KIO chairman's speech hinted that the KIA will continue to fight until its goal --- self-determination of Kachin State is achieved, added attendees.

Martyrs Day is observed on the day that G.O.C Lahtaw Zau Seng, the KIA leader was assassinated by KIA soldiers led by Maran Seng Tu (or Tu Bung), the personal secretary and closest aide of Vice Chief of Staff (V.C.S) Lahtaw Zau Tu for allegations of corruption on the Thailand-Burma border on August 10, 1975, said KIO leaders.

The KIO/KIA alleged that the assassination was masterminded on the basis of a secret plan of General Ne Win's Burma Socialist Programme Party (BSPP) at that time and Maran Seng Tu was a secret spy of General Ne Win.

Martyrs Day began to be observed by the KIO/KIA from 2004, during the period of ceasefire agreement between the KIO/KIA and the Burmese ruling junta.

G.O.C Zau Seng received military training from the Kachin National Union (KNU) before he led the KIA and fought against General Ne Win's Burma Socialist Programme Party on the policy of secession of Kachin State from the Union of Burma since February5, 1961.

During the civil war between the KIO/A and the junta from 1961 to 1994, thousands of Burmese soldiers died and thousands of Kachin civilians were tortured and killed by Burmese troops because they were alleged to have supported the KIO/A, said KIO officers in Laiza headquarters.

The KIO officers in Laiza told KNG today, the death toll among KIA soldiers was less than Kachin civilians during the civil war.

Now, as tension mounts between the KIO/A and the junta, civil war may be resumed because the KIO is being pressurized militarily and politically by the junta to transform the KIA to a battalion of the Border Guard Force (BGF), which the KIO has rejected.