Kachin Leaders Met Burma’s State Counsellor and Expressed Concerns Over Country’s Future

Kachinland News | March 29, 2017

Burma’s state counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi arrived in Myitkyina early Tuesday morning for a one-day visit and met with leaders of Kachin religious organizations, culture and literature associations, and members of Peace-talks Creation Group at Palm Spring hotel from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The state counsellor also visited Mai Na IDP Camp in Waimaw in the afternoon and donated food for IDPs. This is the first time Daw Aung San Suu Kyi visit a Kachin IDP camp since over 100,000 civilians fled their homes because of the renewed war between Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and Burmese Army in 2011.

Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC), a baptist body which comprises of over 400,000 members, released a letter statement addressed to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi during her first visit to Kachin State since NLD took power last year.

In the letter KBC stated that over 100,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who are currently living in IDP camps have fled their homes in fear of Burmese Army troops since the renewed war began in 2011.

One of the major obstacle in building trust between Burmese government and Kachin public is the existence of the article 17/1 of unlawful association act which bans association with members of an organization that Burmese government deemed unlawful, said in KBC’s letter. The article 17/1 of unlawful association act which originated in British colony era in 1908 states that, “Whoever is a member of an unlawful association, or takes part in meetings of any such association, or contributes or receives or solicits any contribution for the purpose of any such association or in any way assists the operations of any such association, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term.”

KBC’s letter also said, “there is no single person who could escape from this unlawful association act and imprisonment because of Kachin kinship system and beliefs. All Kachins are interrelated.”

It has been 69 years that Kachin public wishes for a genuine federal union and continues to hope for one. We are interested to see the 1947 Panglong agreement honored and materialized by all parties rather than 21st Century Panglong conference, the letter stated. “We simply and honestly believed that all armed conflicts and hostilities will cease once a genuine federal union is established.”

The letter added, “Kachin people sincerely want a genuine peace through political negotiations. The last ceasefire period lasted for 17 years hoping a political solution. Because of our hope for political settlement, we had elected 100 delegates to represent Kachin public in 21st Century Panglong conference.”

In regard to Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) the KBC said, “We regard the KIO as an organization leading to achieve political goals of the Kachin public. KIO often consulted Kachin public for current process and political negotiations.”

KBC’s letter also expressed concerns about Burmese army by saying that the country is still under the influence of Burmese army despite majority public who lived under successive military governments for about 50 years in Burma believed in National League for Democracy (NLD) and voted for its slogan “It’s time to change”.

Kachin Baptist Convention became a major aid organization since the beginning of the renewed war Kachin region in 2011 and advocate for its members who are currently living in temporary shelters and makeshift camps in both Burmese government’s and KIO’s administrative areas.