In the wake of the Burmese military junta’s directives to transform its armed wing the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) into a "border security force", central committee members of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) concluded its two-day emergency meeting in Laiza HQ today evening, said KIO sources.

At the meeting, KIO central committee members mainly discussed reforming its armed wing the KIA into a "border security force". It also went into what kind of rights the KIO should demand from the ruling junta for changing the KIA, said KIO central committee sources.

Dr. Manam Tu Ja, KIO's Vice-president No. II and a member of the central committee told KNG before the meeting, "On the matter of transforming of KIA, both sides have to have a series of negotiations on political, economic and other organizational rights."

The KIO delegates led by KIO's Vice-president No. I Lt-Gen Gauri Zau Seng were called to Myitkyina to be told to change its armed force into a border security force by the junta's Northern Command (Ma Pa Kha) commander Brig-Gen Soe Win on April 28.

KIO leaders have always maintained that the KIA will be changed into the "Kachin State's security force" one day when KIO accomplishes its goal of autonomy for Kachin State.

However, the KIO conducted an unusual meeting with Kachin community leaders from the whole of Burma on the nomenclature of KIA and KIO in Laiza headquarters on October 22 to 24, 2007 after the completion of the junta-led National Convention for drafting a new constitution.

The meeting was headed by KIO's Vice-president No. I Lt-Gen Gauri Zau Seng and all participants were told "It's time to change KIO and KIA" meaning the word "Independence" from the KIO and KIA should be changed."

The meeting did not get off the ground because the changes in KIO and KIA were strongly opposed by KIO/A itself and Kachin people inside and outside the country.

This KIO's central committee meeting was held before the KIO delegates and the junta's Northern Command or Kachin State commander Brig-Gen Soe Win will once again meet on May 20 in Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State, said KIO officials.

According to KIO officials in Laiza headquarters, the KIO will also conduct a public meeting in Laiza before they meet the junta's Northern Command commander Brig-Gen Soe Win in Myitkyina.

KIO leaders always keep saying that they will not take any political step without consensus of the Kachin people.