A Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) technical advisory team arrived in the Kachin state capital of Myitkyina this week. The team led by Col. Gawlu La Awng, Deputy Foreign Affair Department, will be working out of the recently opened KIO liaison office.
These latest development followed a 7 point agreement that was signed with the government last May to decrease military tensions and implement a military monitoring mechanism. Besides this recent agreement, the KIO is the last of the country’s significant armed ethnic group to not sign a ceasefire with the new nominally civilian government.
Other members of the team included Col. Hpunggan Hkun Nawng, Col. Wawhkyung Sin Wa the KIO's Deputy General Secretary-1 and Dumsa Dau Hka. The team was brought to Myitkyina with the assistance of the Peace-talk Creation Group (PCG), a group of prominent Kachin that includes businessman who participated in the Kachin peace process.
The KIO technical team will be in direct contact with Rangoon based Myanmar Peace Center (MPC), a government run think tank, said PCG member Hka Pra Hkun Awng, a famous Kachin singer. It is expected that the KIO team will facilitate further discussion between the government and the KIO, he said. In order to de-escalate tensions the team will also work on implementing steps agreed to during the latest round of talks.
It is expected that the KIO's technical team will hold regular meetings with members of Kachin civil society as part of their work. Already on Wednesday the KIO team met with several people from Kachin NGOs and community-based organizations, including Lahpai Seng Raw head of the Metta Development Foundation (MDF).
