“During the last series of meetings, the KIA presented a four-point agenda to government representatives. One of our points was to form a joint committee for monitoring peace between our armed forces, but they told us they weren’t ready for that step,” Daunn Kher said.

The announcement followed a recent statement by the KIA’s political branch the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) that revealed it wouldn’t be attending the government-hosted national ceasefire signing ceremony expected by the end of September.

The group’s 1994 ceasefire agreement with the government was nullified in 2011 after fighting erupted when the KIO's refused to accept the government’s Border Guard Force (BGF) scheme.

During the last meeting between the KIO and government, the KIO agreed to establish a meeting for union-level peace talks, discuss the resettlement process for war refugees, and clarify what the government’s expectations for a nation-wide ceasefire agreement. The two groups are planning to meet at the beginning of October to discuss the union-level peace agreement and negotiations aimed at creating two to three resettlement areas for displaced civilians.

Although fighting between the KIA and government forces has reduced since the last peace meeting on May 28 clashes are still taking place.

During the meeting a seven-point agreement intending to pave the way for future peace discussions was inked.

Since fighting broke out in June of 2011, KIA and government delegates have met nine times officially and five times unofficially to try and forge a solution that would end the conflict.