The Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) currently has more than 30 prisoners of war, or POWs, that it wants to return safely to the Burmese army, said 88 Generation Students leader Mya Aye who visited the Kachin army’s headquarters in Laiza last week.
“The KIO wants to transfer these 30 POWs,” he told Mizzima. “The Burmese authorities have signaled their desire to receive them.”
The news comes following the death of one POW—a private in the Burmese army who was captured at Laja Yang on December 27 after being shot in the abdomen.
“He was seriously wounded during the assault on Laja Yang,” said an official from Laiza Health Department. “He died from his wounds 10 days later on January 6 at Laiza Hospital.”
The Kachin official said that another Burmese POW was still being treated for a gunshot wound in the leg at Laiza Hospital.
Maj. Min Htay of the All Burma Students’ Democratic Front (North) Information Department reaffirmed claims that government forces gave close air support to ground troops during the battle at Laja Yang from December 28 to January 3, but that no air support was evident between January 4 and January 6. He said that three helicopter gunships resumed attacks on KIO positions on January 7 at 3:30 pm.
“Three helicopter gunships hovered above Hillock 771,” he told Mizzima. “Two gunships fired from the air while one landed. It rearmed with ammunition and fired on nearby KIO troops from the air.”
Meanwhile, Burmese nationals living in Malaysia, Australia and the US staged protests against the air strikes in front of Burmese embassies in their respective countries on Monday.
The KIO and the Burmese government have sat for negotiations 11 times without any concrete results or ceasefire.
