Three Kachin peace groups give into junta

Three Kachin ceasefire groups in northern Burma last week, gave into the demands of the Burmese military junta of transforming their armed-wings into the kind of forces that the regime wants, said sources close to the groups.

The New Democratic Army-Kachin (NDA-K), the Lasang Awng Wa Peace Group in Kachin State and the Kachin Defense Army (KDA) in northeast Shan State agreed to transform their armed-forces to a Border Guard Force or local militia, said sources in the three outfits.

KDA and Lasang Awng Wa Peace Group agreed to convert their forces into local militia groups with less manpower than it has now, said insiders.

The KDA led by Mahtu Naw based in Kawng Hka near Kutkai Town was formerly the 4th brigade of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). It has about 500 soldiers. It has been receiving rations from the ruling junta since it surrendered in 1990.

Kachins in northeast Shan State are terribly upset over the KDA agreeing to transform to a local militia group, said a Kachin resident in Muse.

Similarly, the Lasang Awng Wa Peace Group is also ready to transform its force, which accounts for about 200, to a local militia group because it is in no position to oppose the orders of the junta after it split from the mother unit the KIO/A in January 4, 2004.

The group is based in Gwi Htu Pa near the Kachin State capital Myitkyina, where it was set up by former Northern Command Commander Maj-Gen Ohn Myint of the Burmese Army in late 2004. It receives rations from the regime, said insiders.

The New Democratic Army-Kachin (NDA-K) in Kachin State agreed to transform to a battalion of a Border Guard Force on June 24 in the meeting with the junta's Northern Command Commander Brig-Gen Soe Win in the organizational headquarters in Pang Wah, said Baptist pastor-turned NDA-K officer, Lt-Col Nhkum Doi La.

The Zahkung Ting Ying led NDA-K was formerly the Army Division No. 101 of the Communist Party of Burma (CPB) after it split from the mother unit the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) in 1968 and signed a permanent peace agreement with the junta on December 15, 1989.

Currently the NDA-K has about 800 soldiers and at least 500 of them are receiving monthly salaries from the junta, said NDA-K officers.

However, the KIO/A, the original mother unit of the three Kachin peace groups has refused to transform its armed-wing. It has told the junta that it could change to a State Security Force not a Border Guard Force.

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