The Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), Burma's largest ethnic ceasefire group, is garnering opinion of the Kachin people on the junta’s proposal to transform its armed wing, through public meetings since yesterday in Laiza HQ on the Sino-Burma border in Burma's northern Kachin State, said Laiza headquarter sources.

KIO held the Central Committe Meeting on May 11-12 in Laiza HQ. KIO Chairman/President Lanyaw Zawng Hra (middle), Vice-chairman Lt-Gen N'ban La Awng (left) and Vice-president No. 1 Lt-Gen Gauri Zau Seng (right)

The meeting banner in the Laiza City Hall read "Myu Lawt Wunli Lu Gawknu" is titled the "Kachin traditional wedding and dowry systems" however the hot issue to be debated is the proposal for transformation of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the armed wing of the KIO to a "Border Security Force" tomorrow morning, the last day of meeting, according to participants.

This meeting aims to seek Kachin people's suggestion, advice and opinion on transforming KIA to the "Border Security Force" before KIO delegates again meet the ruling junta's Northern Command Commander Brig-Gen Soe Win in Kachin State's capital Myitkyina on May 20, said KIO officials in Laiza.

At the moment, all participants have been given the five-point decision on transformation of the KIA which was discussed by the KIO Central Committee Meeting on May 11 and 12 in Laiza headquarters, added participants.

The KIO's five-point decision states that the issue on transformation of KIA is deeply discussed and not only concerns the KIO/A. So it will take the advice, suggestion and opinion from all the Kachin people in Burma and globally.

Looking back to the ceasefire period starting in 1994, the KIO attended the junta-run National Convention for drafting the country's new constitution which ended in 2007 and also approved the referendum on the junta-centric new constitution in May 2008 against the wishes of the Kachin people.

The KIO was officially told to change its armed wing the KIA into a "Border Security Force" under the control of the Ministry of Defence of Burma's ruling junta when they were called to a meeting in Myitkyina on April 28 by Commander Brig-Gen Soe Win.

The public meeting is being attended by over 300 representatives from different Kachin organizations from the whole of Burma and include the Kachin Baptist Convention, Roman Catholic Church, cultural organizations, Lasang Awng Wa Peace Group, and New Democratic Army-Kachin, said participants.

Among the participants, former Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC) general secretary Rev. Dr. Lahtaw Saboi Jum and father Gregory Naw Din of the Kachin Roman Catholic Church attended the meeting.  They are the two famous church leaders who helped in the ceasefire agreement between the KIO/A and the junta in 1994 as Church-based peace mediators.

Meanwhile, the junta took action yesterday morning on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the democracy icon of the country by transferring her to Insein prison from her house where she was under house-arrest.  She was accused of accepting an American who entered her house by swimming across Innya Lake and stayed for two days by refusing to leave.