The Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) is boycotting peace talks organised by the regime-installed State Administration Council in Naypyitaw.
According to KIO’s spokesperson, Col Naw Bu, the ethnic armed organisation (EAO) decided not to attend talks in the Southeast Asian nation’s capital because the regime doesn’t want to negotiate and has purposely failed to invite all of the relevant stakeholders.
“In their invitation letter, they wrote ‘peace talks discussion’ and that they wanted ‘to make a ceasefire’. However, discussions about a ceasefire are totally different from political negotiations. They probably want the EAOs to surrender, and we won’t accept this.”
The spokesperson said to resolve the problems in Burma, they need to address the political issues and everyone needs to be a part of this. ”We will only attend an all inclusive meeting” that prioritises the people’s desires.
A KIO statement brought up the same points, pointing out there’s no evidence in the invitation letter of the regime’s commitment to “finding a political solution through political negotiation”. The EAO has refused to take part unless they discuss ”politics and equality”.
Many people have praised the KIO for refusing to participate in SAC’s peace talk charade.
During a speech on MRTV at the end of April, regime leader and army chief Snr Gen Min Aung Hlaing promised to personally meet with two representatives from each of the EAOs invited to the peace talks that were last scheduled for 9 May. However, the interim National Unity Government and all of the People’s Defence Forces have been excluded from the talks.
