Tu Ja said he believes that now is the time for the Kachin public to take advantage of the recent decrease in fighting in Kachin state and participate in the Kachin peace process.

The former KIO leader was invited to a two day meeting held from July 9 to 10 in Myitkyina when KIO's new formed technical team sat down with Kachin civil society groups and church leaders. The technical team is being led by Gawlu La Awng, the group's deputy foreign affairs representative.

The team will be comprised of four sub-groups, according to Tu Ja. The ‘A’ group will focus on technical implementation. The ‘B’ group will advise the ‘A’ group. The ‘C’ group will be exiled Kachin that will advise the ‘A’ group. The ‘D’ group that involves members of the general public will also advise the ‘A’ group.

The KIO is in the process of forming the technical team as stipulated by the recent agreement reached with the Burmese government on May 30. Although the agreement is positive step towards peace it is not a ceasefire. Since the signing both sides have traded gunfire.

“Our issues are the kind of problems that can be solved through political dialogues. The technical team using political talks is going to help solve problems by listening to the voices of the Kachin people,” Tu Ja said.

A long time senior figure in the KIO, Tu Ja resigned from the group in 2009 in order to form the Kachin State Progressive Party (KSPP) that was to contest the 2010 elections. However he was barred from registering for the 2010 election as both a candidate for the KSPP and independently.

Tu Ja tried to enter politics again during the by-elections in April 2012 but couldn't run after voting in Kachin state was canceled by the government due to “security reasons”.

Tu Ja was trained as a dentist before joining the KIO in the late 1960's.