Northern Commander Meets Kachin Church Leaders On Transformation Issue

Leaders of the biggest churches in Myitkyina, Kachin State were summoned by the Burmese ruling junta's Northern Regional Commander Brig-Gen Soe Win two weeks ago to discuss the amorphous stand of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) regarding transforming its armed-wing, local Churches' sources said.

The church leaders in Myitkyina were especially called to a meeting at the Mali Hka Centre Hall in the Northern Regional Command headquarters in Myitkyina on June 27 from 10 a.m. to noon by Commander Brig-Gen Soe Win. They were told that the KIO had not given a clear answer on transforming the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) to a junta-proposed Border Guard Force (BGF), said participants.

The church leaders were requested by the Commander that they tell KIO leaders to come up with a clear answer whether the KIA will be transformed to BGF or not, added the participants.

According to sources who attended the meeting, the Kachin church leaders told the Commander that to resolve the problems it would take a long time and that it could only be solved through a process of serious discussions.

At the meeting there were 17 church leaders from Myitkyina Christian Council (MCC), which is made up of churches like Baptist, Roman Catholic, Anglican and Independent Christian Church (also called Shanglawt Hkristan in Kachin). The participants also included Rev. Dr. Lahtaw Saboi Jum former general secretary of the Kachin Baptist Convention, who is currently serving as a leader of civilian peace mediators between the KIO and the junta, and the current KBC general secretary Rev. Labya Paul Naw Tawng, said participants.

KIO/A officials in Laiza headquarters on the Sino-Burma border in Kachin State said, the KIO is now awaiting a reply from the junta over its request that the issue be solved only after a new government comes to power after next year’s elections.

On July 8, KIO delegates and Commander Soe Win met at the Mali Hka Center in Northern Regional Command headquarters in Myitkyina but the meeting could not resolve the issue, KIO sources said.

According to the junta's time frame, the KIO has to come up with an answer in black and white over transforming the KIA to the BGF by this month, said KIO sources.

Former KBC's general secretary Rev. Dr. Lahtaw Saboi Jum,

who is currently serving as a peace mediator between

the KIO and the Burma's ruling junta.

KNG