Aye Mi Aung – Fighting continues in Kachin state, but it is necessary to continue discussions for ceasefire, said Maj-Gen Gwan Maw, Deputy Commander-in-chief of the Kachin Independent Army [KIA] and joint leader of the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordinating Team (NCCT).
Maj-Gen Gwan Maw said that more than 2,000 locals fled to Man-wong-gyi as fighting between government troops and the KIA broke out at Namlim Pa village near Mansi Town, Kachin State.
“Some refugees are prevented from fleeing. Some have arrived in our 3rd Brigade territories, while others are still seeking shelter. We don’t know where those refugees are.” said Maj-Gen Gwan Maw.
There were already about 2,000 refugees in Bhamo Township, forced to flee when fighting resumed on October 22. Because of the fresh clashes there are now more than 4,000 refugees in Bhamo and Mansi townships.
The two years of conflict between KIA and government troops has reportedly caused more than 150,000 villagers to abandon their homes and possessions to seek refuge along the Burma-China border.
Maj-Gen Gwan Maw will travel to Chiang Mai, Thailand, in December to meet with other ethnic leaders as part of his duty as NCCT joint-leader.
NCCT is a 14 member committee formed at the meeting of ethnic armed organizations held late last month in Laiza, Kachin State. Nai Hongsa of New Mon State Party (NMSP) serves as chief leader of the NCCT, and NCCT joint leaders are Pado Saw Kwe Htoo Win, General Secretary of KNU, and Maj-Gen Gwan Maw, Deputy Commander-in-chief of KIA.
“Ethnic nationalities demand the establishment of a federalist union and federal army,” said Maj-Gen Gwan Maw.
“We have to have patience as we continue the peace talks. The government does not share the views of the ethnic armed groups, though we [ethnic armed groups] are mostly in agreement,” Nai Hongsa, vice-chairman of NMSP, told Independent Mon News Agency [IMNA].
The NMSP has also just announced their rejection of the government-proposed nationwide ceasefire draft, submitted by the Union Peace-making Working Committee [UPWC] to ethnic armed organizations at peace talks in Kachin state capital Myitkyina early this month.
