KIO trains administrative staff

The Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), which has refused to transform itself to a Border Guard Force (BGF), is imparting military training to departmental staff members now into administrative work, in the areas under its control.

“The staff members are from the Education, Immigration, Police, Administrative, and Health Departments. Teachers from the Education Department have not been included. There are about 300 staff members in the Administrative Department. They are being summoned for training in batches leaving only a skeleton staff to take care of the concerned offices,” a KIO source said.

It is learnt that after the training, all trainees will be equipped with small arms.

The Burmese Army is deploying more combat units in Don Phon Yan and Nam San Yan, which are not far from the KIO headquarters in Lai Za.

The junta is trying to force ceasefire armies based along the Sino-Burma border to transform into a Border Guard Force but all the groups have rejected the junta’s proposal. Following this the relation between the Burmese Army and ceasefire groups has soured and there is palpable tension between them.