June 2005 June 29 — Over 10,000 anti-drug postcards had been handed out in major cities and towns in Kachin States and northern Shan State on the International Days Against Drugs Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, June 26. The postcards were delivered by hundreds of Kachin youths by youth-to-youth tactic. The activity was organized by Kachin youth members from Education and Economic Development for Youth, EEDY, which is a program under the Kachin Independence Organization’s Youth Affairs Committee. Leader of KIO’s Youth Affairs Committee, Maj Sumlut Gun Maw said that the goal of this activity is to educate younger generation to eschew from consuming narcotic drugs.
June 27 — The Kachin Independence Organization, KIO, yesterday destroyed heroin, black opium and methamphetamine pills in Burma’s northern town of Laiza to commemorate the international anti-drugs day on June 26. Officials from KIO’s drugs eradication committee, Chinese guests and over 1,600 local people attended the ceremony held in the soccer field of Laiza, a border town closed to China.
June 27 — The overseas based Kachin National Organization, KNO, urged Kachins to struggle for independence, according to a statement released by the organization on last Friday. “This is the most important time for all Kachins to participate in politics to achieve an independent country,” the statement said. “Kachins are so left behind because we don’t have an independent state. We, Kachins, must strive for independence first.” The KNO was founded by both overseas Kachins and a group of elders from the Kachin State on January 9, 1999, striving for an independent Kachin Republic and democratic Kachin government.
June 12 — The Burmese military government instructed the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) to cancel a public meeting, which was planned to hold on yesterday in Nam San Yang village of the Kachin State of northern Burma. According to the KIO, the meeting was originally set up to explain the organization’s policy concerning the junta-led National Convention. Dr Tu Ja, the leader of KIO’s delegates to the national convention and Vice Chairman II, was scheduled to speak at the public meeting where about 1,500 people had already arrived.
June 7 — Five thousands copies of the Kachin language Hparat journal will reach Kachin readers in the middle of June. Hparat journal director Ah Tang said that the third issue of Hparat journal will be sold mainly to readers of Myitkyina, Bahmo, Kamai, Hpankan, Danai in Kachin State, some towns in Northern Shan State as well as Kachin community in Yangon. The price of the journal is 250 kyat (US $0.25) per copy. “Now we’ve successfully published five thousands copies of Hparat journal for our beloved readers,” Ah Tang told The Kachin Post. “I hope the readers can heartily enjoy the Hparat especially local and international news and the specified role of culture, intellectual, and socio-economic development.” The journal is organized by Kachin students who are members of the Kachin Culture and Literature Organization under the University of Yangon. The first issue of the journal was published in December 2003 and second issue followed in February 2005. The second Hparat journal published 3,000 copies with funding from Swissaid.
June 03 — The Environment Project Team of the Pan Kachin Development Society, PKDS, plans to hold environmental protection activities on World Environment Day by planting trees and delivering pamphlets and T-shirts. The team will plant 500 trees to celebrate World Environment Day on June 5th. The trees will be planted in Kachin States and northern Shan State in Burma. It will also handout 9,000 pamphlets to inform Kachins about environmental issues.
June 01 — The Kachin Defense Army, a Kachin cease-fire group in northern Shan State, has been pressured to disarm, according to sources closed to KDA in northern Burma. Sources say that KDA leaders are believed to be met with a high-ranking Burmese military official from Rangoon at the KDA’s headquarters in Kawng Hka of northern Shan State. The KDA leaders were pressured to disarm, sources added.
