According to the joint statement issued on 19 January, both had agreed to reduce the intensity of the fighting. However, Aung Kyaw Zaw charged that the Burma Army, while pulling out the Light Infantry Division (LID) 99’s 993rd Tactical Command with its 3 infantry battalions from Bhamo “for all to see”, it had dispatched the 991st Tactical Command through the back door in Mongmit back to the township.

“Ostensibly, they are for the security of the joint development projects with China,” he said. “But the real purpose is to separate the Kachin units from each other and establish military control over the whole territory.”

He is highly critical of the regime’s 3-phase peace plan: ceasefire, development and political dialogue. “Local development for the armed movements is a trap,” he said. “The KIA had gone through it for 17 years, and the United Wa State Army (UWSA) for 20 years. Nothing came out of it. When they (Burma Army) wanted to fight, they fought (despite the development projects).”

His suggestion to the KIA is to extract promise from the regime that political issues will be resolved alongside the ceasefire agreement. “Ceasefire and political dialogue must be done simultaneously, not separately,” he said. “Once you agree to do it separately, the problem begins.”

Local development projects are better left to the state governments concerned. The main thing is to reach a political settlement, according to him.

The two sides, since 9 June 2011, when the ceasefire broke, have met 4 times: twice state level and twice union level. The resumption of conflict has displaced some 70,000 people.

So far, Naypyitaw has concluded ceasefire agreements with 10 armed movements, 5 through U Aung Thaung, leader of Union level “Peace Negotiating Team”, and the remaining 5 through U Aung Min, leader of Union Level “Peacemaking Team”.

Kachin Independence Organization / Kachin Independence Army (KIO/KIA) remains the only major group still at war with the regime.