In the midst of escalating tension over the contentious Border Guard Force issue in Kachin State, ethnic Kachins in northern Burma today marked the 16th anniversary of the ceasefire agreement with the country’s ruling junta with thousands of local people attending.
The anniversary ceremony was held in Kasung Pa, the military base of Battalion 11 of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), near the railway town of Namti from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. local time with pomp and fanfare. Officials of both the Burmese junta and Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), the political-wing of the KIA delivered short speeches, a participant told Kachin News Group.
The anniversary speeches of KIO/KIA’s Vice President No. 1 Lt-Gen Gauri Zau Seng and Burmese military officer Brig-Gen San Htun, Vice-Commander of Northern Regional Command, based in Kachin State’s capital Myitkyina stressed on the need for national solidarity, development and fruits of peace according to the junta’s three core propagandas--- political, economic and social objectives, participants told KNG.
Eyewitnesses said, Vice-Commander Brig-Gen San Htun attended the KIO’s ceremony escorted by over 50 troops.
Surprisingly, the KIO’s Vice-President No. 1 in his speech, skirted the issue of mounting tension between the KIO and the junta over transforming KIA to the Burmese Army controlled BGF, said some in the audience. KIO has been given till February 28 as the deadline for accepting or rejecting the BGF by the junta.
According to KIO officials, about 10,000 people, mainly from railway stations between Myitkyina and Mohnyin, and Hukawng Valley attended the ceremony.
Marking the anniversary, the famous Kachin cultural dance called “Ninggawn Htingram Manau” was performed yesterday and will be concluded on Friday.
The KIO has an estimated budget of over 800 million Kyat (est. US$833,333) for the four-day celebrations, KIO officers said.
Before the end of this month, senior officers of the junta and KIO will meet over the contentious BGF issue, according to KIO officers in Laiza Headquarters in Kachin State, near the China border.
