Commemoration of Kachin State Day kick started at 10 a.m. today in Myitkyina the state’s capital with ethnic Kachin Manau dances, participants told Kachin News Group. Today was the first of the four-day dance festival.

Before “Manau nau baw”, the opening Manau dance was performed in Kachin National Manau Park in Shatapru quarter in the town; a short opening Manau dance ceremony was conducted by senior pastors in different Kachin churches, said locals.

In attendance were many people from local churches and representatives from different Kachin organizations and Burmese military leaders of Kachin State including Kachin Independence Organization’s chairman Lanyaw Zawng Hra, Vice-chairman Lt-Gen N’ban La Awng and Maj-Gen Soe Win, commander of Myitkyina-based Northern Regional Command of the junta, said people, who attended the ceremony.

Government employees of all departments in Myitkyina and students from Myitkyina University also joined the ceremony. The first day of Manau dance was conducted by the Kachin Cultural Head with hundreds of participants in different Kachin cultural suits, said Manau venue sources.

Manau dance will continue for four consecutive days till January 11. It commemorates the “62nd anniversary of Kachin State Day” on January 10, the Manau dance programme released by the Manau Festival Acting Committee said.

On the flip side, the daily Kachin-language Manau newspaper has not been published for three consecutive days because the activities of the Manau publication team is being closely monitored by three special media agents sent by the Burmese junta  from the capital Naypyitaw. They are U Khin Maung Kyaw (photo specialist), U Tin Win (agent leader) and U Ne Linn Way (senior reporter) and have been present since January 5, the opening day of the Manau festival, said Manau publication team sources.

A Kachin university student in Manau venue told KNG today, “It is significant that a number of Burmese soldiers and security agents are present in this year’s Manau festival compared to last year. I can see Burmese soldiers and security agents both outside and inside the Manau venue”.

Manau venue sources said, Burmese soldiers from the three battalions--- Myitkyina-based Infantry Battalion (IB) No. 29, Waingmaw-based IB No. 58 and Shwenyaungpyin-based Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) No. 321 are now stationed inside and outside the Manau venue.

On the other hand, a few participants from KIO are attending the State Day’s Manau festival. And there is no plan of mass participation from KIO in this year’s festival, said KIO officials in Laiza headquarters near the China border.

It is a pointer to the increasing political and military standoffs between the Burmese junta and KIO over the junta-proposed Border Guard Force issue, said local military analysts.