Top SPDC military commander visits Kachin State to secure support from the ethic groups

DVB ( August 5,2003 )

Lieutenant-General Thura Shwe Mann, one of the top military commanders in Burma and his team have met with armed ethic groups who signed ceasefire agreement with the military junta in the Sino-Burmese border regions in northeast Burma.

During their visit, they have met, U Za Khom Thain Yain, the chairman of New democratic Army – Kachin (NDAK) in Panwa and, U Lamung Tu Jai, the chairman of Kachin Independent Organisation(KIO) in Loinza.

Although the reason for those visit was unknown, political analysts on the Sino-Burmese border believed that during the meeting the ethnic groups were told not to criticise the May 30 Dipeyin incident.

On the 1st of July, KIO together with other ceasefire groups issued a statement that severely denounced the May 30 incident and it also demanded the regime to solve political problems by political means.

But before the statement was issued, the SPDC military intelligence (MI) official, General Kyaw Thein visited Loinza and discussed the matter with KIO.

Furthermore, political analysts also believed that they might discuss political issues such as the ethic groups’ attitudes on the possible national convention and regional developments.

After KIO had signed the ceasefire agreements in October 1993, it had been issuing political statements with other ceasefire groups.

Although the effort seemed to be unsuccessful, according to a military source, there would still be a celebration of 10th anniversary of the ceasefire agreements by the KIO.

But one local resident in Loinza who did not want to be named said, the SPDC insisted that the signboards for the occasion should display the words, ‘The 10th anniversary of Peace’ instead of ‘The 10th anniversary of ceasefire agreements’.

Members of the team
Secretary –2, Lieutenant General Soe Win
Lieutenant-General Ye Myint
The commander of Northern Military Command, Maung Maung Shwe