One of Burma's largest ethnic ceasefire groups, the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) or as it calls itself the Kachin Independent Government, yesterday submitted a list of its government departments to the Burmese junta to prove that it does not comprise of its armed-wing the KIA alone, said KIO sources.

The KIO's departmental list was sent to the junta through the Northern regional command commander Maj-Gen Soe Win based in Kachin State's capital Myitkyina, said KIO officials in Laiza headquarters on the Sino-Burma border.

The KIO's departmental list has more than 10 departments, which are active at the moment. These are the Department of General Administration, DGA (or civil administration), Kachin Independence Army (KIA), Health, Education, Forest and Agriculture, Reconstruction, Police and Investigation, Immigration, Culture and Literature, Legal and Court, Central Treasury, Economy, Tax and Revenue among others, according to KIO officials.

Submitting the list of the KIO's departments was aimed at convincing the regime that the KIO is not made up of its armed-wing the KIA alone --- which is being pressurized to convert to a battalion of the Border Guard Force (BGF) by the junta, added KIO officials in Laiza.

An officer said, the KIO has ruled people in its territories through this government made up of many departments since 1969.

Following the KIO's submission of the list to the junta, two leaders from both sides will meet and discuss the issue in Myitkyina, said KIO sources.

Following a suggestion of Rev. Dr. Lahtaw Saboi Jum, former general secretary of Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC) and a current peace mediator between the KIO and the junta, the Northern commander Maj-Gen Soe Win met all Kachin Christian church leaders on June 27 and July 29. The church leaders were told to suggest to the KIO to transform its KIA to a battalion of the Border Guard Force.

The Myitkyina-based Myitkyina Christian Council (MCC) told the commander that the government should consider the KIO's demands and grant it.

Two days ago, the junta convicted the country's democracy icon Daw Aung San Suu Kyi with another 18 months of house arrest for violation of her house arrest terms.

Political analysts inside Burma think the junta will mount fresh pressure on ethnic ceasefire groups that rejected the Burmese Army-controlled Border Guard Force (BGF) idea but it may not start a war with them following Suu Kyi’s sentence.

Meanwhile, four ethnic ceasefire groups based in Kachin State and Shan State--- the KIO, United Wa State Army (UWSA), Kokang ceasefire group and Mongla-based National Democratic Alliance Army-Eastern Shan State (NDAA-ESS) have agreed to defend themselves together if the junta, starts a war against any group in the military alliance.

On the other hand, China is yet to pressurize the ethnic military alliance based on the Sino-Burma border but it has made it clear to the junta that it does not want war along its border, said Sino-Burma border sources.

In this situation, resuming civil war or maintaining peace depends on the ruling junta, said sources close to the ethnic ceasefire groups.