Dialogue Between Tatmadaw and KIO in Dali Ends Fruitlessly

The two delegations met in Dali City, China on August 5 but the meeting fell through after the KIO refused the Tatmadaw’s coercion to accept its demands  first of all before discussing about ‘reducing the military conflict and ceasefire issue’.

K.N.G learned that the KIO refused the Tatmadaw’s three points on ‘non-secession, multi-party democracy system directive, and Our Three Causes’.

Lt-Gen. Tun Tun Naung led the Tatmadaw delegation while Gen. N’Ban La personally led the KIO delegation.

Neither the Tatmadaw nor the KIO has released any official statements and news on the meeting in Dali City.

The Tatmadaw and the KIO delegations first met in Dali City on February 1 but the meeting fell through after the Tatmadaw refused the KIO’s demands.

The KIO delegation led by its chair Gen. N’Ban La and the government’s Peace Commission led by Lt-Gen. Khin Zaw Oo (retd) met informally in Chiang Mai, Thailand on July 20, which paved way for the second informal meeting in Dali City.

The KIO is a member of the Northern Alliance, which refused to accept the nationwide ceasefire agreement. It has been negotiating with the Tatmadaw on the bilateral ceasefire issue based on the agreements it has signed with the Tatmadaw in 1994 and 2013.

Kachin war analysts said the Tatmadaw has resumed military offensives in the Kachin State as they were unable to reach success in the negotiation for ceasefire.