Burmese junta needs apology before holding 2010 election; OKA The Kachin Post / September 20, 2009 A Kachin association based in overseas stated that Burmese military junta need apology for the victims of decades-long ruthless campaign against Kachins in Burma, if junta wants proceeding to hold the election in 2010, according the organization’s statement.
Overseas Kachin Association (OKA), which is believed to be closed to Kachin Independence Organization, accused ruling junta and previous Burmese government had committed war crimes and crime against humanity in Kachin State, during the war against Kachin Independence Organization since 1961. “The Burmese junta is crueler than British colonial ruler and Fascist Japan against ethnic nationalities that need to be apologized,” the statement said.
Burmese junta needs apology for killings thousands of innocent Kachin civilians, raping over a thousand of Kachin women and destroying thousands of villages in Kachin States, before they go ahead to hold the election next year, the OKA statement indicted. The statement also demanded the Junta must stop insulting Kachin culture, banning Kachin literature and marginalizing the Kachins to participate in the Kachin State governance and administration system.
The OKA statement, which was received via e-mail, aims to retaliate the Junta’s mouthpiece The New Light of Myanmar recently published repeated articles regarding KIO and other ethnic arms organization.
“It [KIO] let the group of six leaders led by Vice-Chairman Dr Tu Ja to resign in order that they can form a political party and stand for election in 2010. Such good news reveals that Kachin national people are in favour of peace and they made a correct decision to take part in the process for building a peaceful, modern and developed democratic nation in accordance with the constitution. So, we have to welcome such news,” stated in the New Light of Myanmar.
A Kachin political analysis who asked not to reveal his name, said, Burmese military junta need KIO for their political reason, that’s why they [junta] are trying to persuade KIO as much as they can for now. As well as, repeatedly publishing the Junta’s opinion regarding to disarm ethnic arms groups in The New Light of Myanmar means that they would use the written reference that the Junta already given an excuse for the future if there could be war, he said.
Currently, Burmese junta and KIO are at the situation of stalemate over transforming Border Guard Force plan. Junta wants all ethnic arms organizations to transform Border Guard Force under Burma Army command before end of October 2009. However, KIO demanded to transform it arms wing Kachin Independence Army (KIA) into Kachin Regional Guard Force (KRGF) and direct participation KIO officials in the Kachin State government after 2010 election.
Burma army must withdraw from Kachin State as its troops deployed as before 1962, Burmese junta need to reconsider and take action on “19th articles of KIO’s proposal for constitutional provisions and clauses”, which was submitted during the process of National Convention in 2007, and stop divide and rule policy against the ethnic arms organizations by giving business incentives and opportunities to hand-picked ethnic leaders, if the Junta really want Kachin Independence Army to transform into Border Guard Force, OKA statement said.
The Kachin Independence Organization was originally established for independence Kachin land in 1961. The organization entered ceasefire agreement with Burma army in 1994.
Kachin leaders are the pioneer of initiating to establish the Union of Burma before the country gained independence from British colonial rulers. The present territory of Kachin State was emerged on the six days after Union of Burma was independent from British on January 4th 1947, making the first ethnic States amongst the Union.
