February 2004

February 26 — Senior Kachin Independence Army officer was assassinated in Northern Burma this early morning, said the group’s Chief of Staff Gen N’ban La.

At about 6:40 am Col Lazing Bawk, Deputy Chief of Staff of the KIA, was terminally injured by a bomb that exploded in the bathroom of his house in Laiza, a town abutting the Chinese border in Kachin State. Lazing Bawk died at the hospital an hour later.

February 18 — Kachin Independence Organization, KIO, plans to celebrate 10th anniversary of signing ceasefire agreement with Burmese military government on February 22-24 in Laiza, a border town controlled by KIO. The celebration will include opening Laiza Hotel and Burmese traditional boxing tournament. KIO reached ceasefire agreement with junta on February 24, 1994.

February 12 — Chinese logging project in northern Burma has threatened one of the world’s most biodiversity spots, said experts. “One of the world's most exceptional biodiversity hotspots 2 is being plundered by two of the parties, Burma and China,” said in a statement released from the 7th conference on the Convention on Biological Diversity held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 2,000 experts on biodiversity and sustainable development attend the conference which is being held from February 9 to 20.

Destructive logging industry under the corrupt deals brokered between wealthy Chinese businessmen and cash-strapped armed insurgent groups are the main culprit of threatening one of the most valuable pieces of real estate in the world due in large part to its forests, but also to its jade, gold and mineral reserves, said the statement.