Senior KIA Officer Assassinated

By Naw Seng/ The Irrawaddy

February 27, 2004—A senior Kachin Independence Army officer was assassinated in Northern Burma this early morning, said the group’s Chief of Staff.

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, said Chief of Staff Gen N’ban La by telephone. Lazing Bawk died at the hospital an hour later.

Gen N’ban La said it was not clear who was responsible for the bomb. An investigation is underway. "This is bad for our organization," he said.

There is speculation that the assassination may be related to a power struggle last month for control of the Kachin Independence Organization, the Kachin governing body, headquartered in nearby Liaison Bum.

On January 7 a coup attempt took place and was put down by Col Lazing Bawk. Chief of Staff Gen N’ban La was in the hospital in China at the time.

Two senior Kachin leaders were purged, including vice chairman of the KIO Brig-Gen Hpauyam Tsam Yan, who was placed under arrest, and intelligence chief Col Lasang Aung Wa, who is believed to have escaped to China.

In February 2003, Brig-Gen Hpauyam Tsam Yan and Gen N’ban La were allies in a successful bloodless coup that ousted KIO chairman Gen Zau Mai and installed Brig Gen Tu Jai in his place.

Col Lazing Bawk’s assassination took place only two days after the tenth anniversary of the February 24, 1994 ceasefire agreement with Rangoon, which ended a long-running insurgency.

His funeral will be held on Friday.