The rally was scheduled for Thursday, January 10, the date that marks the 65th anniversary of Kachin State Day.

Rally organizer Dwe Bu, who is also an MP for the region’s Ingyanyan Township, told Mizzima on Wednesday that the police chief turned down an application to hold a peaceful demonstration and a stage rally, telling the organizers to reapply at a later date.

The organizers planned to use the occasion to urge both the Kachin Independence Organization and the Burmese government to engage in political dialogue at the earliest possible date for the sake of peace, she said.

Dwe Bu requested a three-day leave from attending Parliament, the sixth session of which began in Naypyitaw on Wednesday, saying that she had to meet with her Kachin constituents.

The Kachin MP said she intends to present details of the conflict to Parliament when she returns.