Former KIO Leaders Prepare for 2010 Election

Five leaders of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) including Tu Ja have resigned from their posts to prepare for the 2010 national election.

“We have separated from the KIO,” said Tu Ja, “and we will just focus on organizing our party.”

He named his party the Kachin State Progressive Party when it was formed in March 2009.

Tu Ja, who was vice chairman No 2, said he formed the party because political reform is needed in Burma, and it is being initiated by the military regime through its “seven-step roadmap” to democracy.

Tu Ja said that his party has the support of Kachin civilians.

The current KIO general secretary, La Ja, said the former leaders asked for permission to resign from the KIO because they wanted to focus on the election.

The KIO central committee approved the resignations during a meeting on Aug 5 at KIO’s headquarters in Laiza that was attended by more than 300 Kachin civilians.

He said the KIO plans to propose that a “state government” be formed to represent Kachin State after the 2010 general election and the formation of a national government.

In a meeting in Myitkyina on July 8 between KIO leaders and regime officials led by Maj-Gen Soe Win, the commander of the Northern Regional Command and head of the regional transformation committee of the border guard force, the KIO told the military government it planned to keep its military wing, the KIA, autonomous and it rejected the order to join a junta-dominated border guard force.

La Ja said the KIO will attempt to maintain its 1994 cease-fire agreement with the military government.

Aung Wa, who is close to the KIO, said that Tu Ja’s political party will probably retain close links with the KIO.

“If they [Tu Ja’s party] don’t have a connection with the KIO, it’s not clear that the party would succeed,” said Aung Wa.

The KIO military wing has between 4,000 to 5,000 soldiers in five brigades and one infantry division. KIA troops are stationed in Kachin State and northern Shan State.