Armed conflict in Kachin State - ceasefires and ceasefire talks
Websites/Multiple Documents
| Title: | | Kachin Battle Report |
| Description/subject: | | Articles on offensives, peace talks etc. from February 2011 |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Mizzima |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Date of entry/update: | | 10 March 2012 |
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Individual Documents
| Title: | | Ongoing struggles |
| Date of publication: | | May 2013 |
| Description/subject: | | Key Points:
• Myanmar's central democratic reforms have received broad backing,
enabling it to boost its legitimacy and consolidate its hold on power.
• Although tentative ceasefires have been concluded with most of the
ethno-nationalist armed groups, there is no clear timeline or plan to
address longstanding demands for self-rule and the protection of
cultural identities.
• Meanwhile, the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO), the principal
protagonist in the struggle for ethnic rights, has been the focus of
sustained military offensives.
As Myanmar's democratic reform process rumbles on, military offensives
continue despite ceasefires between most of the ethno-nationalist rebel
armies and the government. Curtis W Lambrecht examines the road to peace
in the country. |
| Author/creator: | | Curtis W Lambrecht |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Jane's Terrorism and Security Monitor, May 2013, |
| Format/size: | | pdf (95K) |
| Date of entry/update: | | 03 May 2013 |
|
| Title: | | War trumps peace in Myanmar |
| Date of publication: | | 19 March 2013 |
| Description/subject: | | "Things are seldom as they seem in Myanmar, a country still little understood by the outside world. On a visit to Europe in early March, Myanmar President Thein Sein - an ex-general turned civilian politician - claimed that ''There's no more fighting in the country, we have been able to end this kind of armed conflict'' between government forces and various ethnic resistance armies.
Back at home, the Myanmar army continues its fierce offensive against the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in the country's far northern region. As KIA representatives and government officials met for yet another round of peace talks in the Chinese border town of Ruili on March 11, more than a hundred trucks carrying
reinforcements and heavy equipment were seen entering Kachin State from garrisons in central Myanmar. In Shan State, almost daily skirmishes are reported with the Shan State Army, which has a shaky ceasefire agreement with the authorities. In Karen State, more government troops are taking up new positions in the hills bordering Thailand.
The Myanmar government's doublespeak has not dissuaded Western nongovernmental organizations and think tanks from launching various peacemaking initiatives at a time an entirely different foreign power has taken charge of the process: China..." |
| Author/creator: | | Bertil Lintner |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | "Asia Times Online" |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Date of entry/update: | | 09 April 2013 |
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| Title: | | Powers Seek Influence in Burma’s Conflict |
| Date of publication: | | 18 March 2013 |
| Description/subject: | | "Burma’s President Thein Sein, while visiting Europe, announced that the government’s fighting against ethnic resistance forces has ended – even as the government moves more troops into the troubled areas. Meanwhile, the United States and China are scrambling for influence by brokering peace to end the ethnic conflicts. Dozens of think tanks and NGOs from the West are attracting donor funds and pouring into the country. “The outcome has been overlapping initiatives, rivalry among organizations – and, more often than not, a lack of understanding by inexperienced ‘peacemakers’ of the conflicts’ root causes,” explains journalist and author Bertil Lintner. China, unhappy with Burma’s embrace of the West, has been actively leading peace talks since January. Lintner points out that China’s Yunnan Province has more than 130,000 ethnic Kachin who sympathize with their fellow Burmese Kachin. Motivations may differ, but China and the US both want the conflicts to end. Burma’s leaders may find it difficult to pursue military solutions, continuing sending troops north, while playing China and the United States off each other..." |
| Author/creator: | | Bertil Lintner |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Yale Global Online -Yale Center for the Study of Globalization |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Date of entry/update: | | 23 March 2013 |
|
| Title: | | ENGINEERING PEACE IN KACHIN STATE |
| Date of publication: | | March 2013 |
| Description/subject: | | "On 4 February 2013, representatives from the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) and the Burmese Government’s Union Peace-making Working Committee (UPWC) met in the Chinese Town of Ruili (Shweli). It was the first time the two sides had met since the escalation of the conflict in December 2012.
A later meeting, held on 11 March, further solidified the two side’s attempts to find a compromise and end the conflict. It was also the first time that the United Nationalities Federal Council was officially engaged in the peace process on behalf of one of its members. Initial indications suggest that both sides are hopeful that a compromise can be met and an end to the conflict may soon ensue..." |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Burma Centre for Ethnic Studies (Briefing Paper No. 13, March 2013) |
| Format/size: | | pdf (94K-OBL version; 153K-original), |
| Alternate URLs: | | http://burmaethnicstudies.net/pdf/BCES-BP-13.pdf |
| Date of entry/update: | | 08 April 2013 |
|
| Title: | | China's Intervention in the Myanmar-Kachin Peace Talks |
| Date of publication: | | 20 February 2013 |
| Description/subject: | | "Peace talks between Myanmar's government and the rebel Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) in Ruili, China, on February 4, finally rendered a glimpse of hope after 17 months of bloody conflict. Although the two sides still need more time and further dialogue to reach a peace agreement, major breakthroughs were achieved on key issues such as strengthening communications, easing tensions and holding further talks before the end of February.
Peace talks are not unusual for the KIO and the Myanmar government. Since the most recent outbreak of the conflict in 2011, the two sides have engaged in multiple rounds of informal talks, including at least three rounds in Ruili. However, these latest talks set a new precedent because of the central role that China played in the process and signify a major intervention by Beijing that is unique.
China was instrumental in arranging the latest round of dialogue between the two parties. Due to the lack of trust between the KIO and the Myanmar government, both preferred a third party location rather than Laiza--headquarters of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA)--or Naypyidaw. During the talks, China not only provided the venue, but also explicitly guaranteed the security of all participants..." |
| Author/creator: | | Yun Sun |
| Source/publisher: | | Brookings |
| Format/size: | | English |
| Date of entry/update: | | 09 April 2013 |
|
| Title: | | KACHIN STATE KIA AND MYANMAR ARMY NO.015 |
| Date of publication: | | August 2012 |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Polaris Burmese Library Collections |
| Format/size: | | pdf (98K) |
| Date of entry/update: | | 07 October 2012 |
|
| Title: | | Joint Statement on current political situation and peace processes by community based organizations from Shan State, Burma June 12, 2012 |
| Date of publication: | | 12 June 2012 |
| Description/subject: | | "On June 4 and 5, 2012, about 80 people from various community-based organizations, including women’s, youth, environment, community development, media, health, education, literature and culture groups, migrant workers groups, as well as monks and farmers from Shan State held a forum to discuss the current political situation in Shan State, especially the ongoing peace negotiation process.
Key concerns raised by participants about the current situation are as follows:
1. Communities remain in daily fear of the expanding Burma Army, which now numbers over 180 battalions in Shan State, a quarter of their total troop force. The twelfth Burma Army Regional Command has been set up in Shan State since the 2010 election. Despite recent ceasefire agreements, armed clashes continue, and the Burma Army continues to target civilians for abuse with impunity.
2. The 2010 elections, and introduction of “democracy,” have not improved the lives of the people of Shan State, as the 2008 pro-military constitution puts the Burma Army outside the law, and elected representatives have no power to curb the army’s abuses, or to protect the rights of local communities..." |
| Language: | | English, Shan, Burmese, Thai |
| Source/publisher: | | 16 Shan community-based groups |
| Format/size: | | pdf (English-51K; Burmese-61K; Shan-59K; Thai-89K) |
| Alternate URLs: | | http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs13/Shan%20CS%20joint%20statement%20on%20current%20political%20situa...
http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs13/Shan%20CS%20joint%20statement%20on%20current%20political%20state...
http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs13/Shan%20CS%20joint%20statement%20on%20current%20political%20situa...
http://www.shanhumanrights.org/
http://www.shanwomen.org/
http://www.shansapawa.org/ |
| Date of entry/update: | | 12 June 2012 |
|
| Title: | | Why ceasefires fail in Myanmar |
| Date of publication: | | 18 May 2012 |
| Description/subject: | | "In northern Myanmar, government troops continue to push into the heartland of the ethnic Kachin armed opposition. Next month, the renewed conflict will mark its first birthday, and while protracted fighting has eased in other areas of the ethnically diverse country, the battle for Kachin State rages on.
The limited gains made by government negotiators with at least six ethnic rebel groups over the past year make the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) something of an anomaly. Lower House member of parliament Aung Thaung, whose hawkish persona was seen as ripe for the recalcitrant group, was recently retired from his post as peace broker. More than five high-level meetings with Kachin officials failed to net a result, and as additional battalions are deployed to the frontline, the prospect of a ceasefire anytime soon seems unlikely.
The narrative runs that the Kachin distrust the government, which they fear could renege on an agreement and rekindle the conflict at any time. But their reluctance to sign a ceasefire runs deeper; indeed it is their experience with the recent era of "peace" that makes the three-point roadmap demanded by Aung Thaung - entailing a ceasefire and then economic development before cementing a political solution - so objectionable.
Among Kachin civilians, the 1994 ceasefire deal was seen to facilitate the rapacious development of the state, which 33 years of insurgency had somewhat stifled. The inflow of investment came with alarming levels of environmental degradation, particularly around areas rich in minerals, timber and hydropower potential. While the abuses associated with fighting lessened, including forced portering and rape, the number of people displaced by the development drive may well have taken a heavier toll than the years of conflict..." |
| Author/creator: | | Francis Wade |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | "Asia Times Online" |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Date of entry/update: | | 17 May 2012 |
|
| Title: | | Lessons from the Kachin “development” experience (Kachin, English, Burmese) |
| Date of publication: | | May 2012 |
| Description/subject: | | "Burma’s government is using the promise of development as a key component in its current peace negotiations with armed ethnic organizations, proposing ceasefire first, then development, and finally a national political agreement. This process has been tried before in Kachin State with disastrous consequences.
This report summarizes findings from seven years of research and demonstrates that the Kachin experience should serve as a warning to other ethnic groups attempting peace through a similar process. Without a political resolution first, there can be no just or sustainable development of Burma..." |
| Language: | | English, Kachin, Burmese |
| Source/publisher: | | Kachin Development Networking Group (KDNG) |
| Format/size: | | pdf (1MB-English; 770K-Burmese; 873K-Kachin) |
| Alternate URLs: | | http://www.kdng.org/publication/236-lessons-from-the-kachin-development-experience.html
http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs13/lessons_from_the_kachin_development_experience(bu)-red.pdf
http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs13/lessons_from_the_kachin_development_experience(kachin)-red.pdf |
| Date of entry/update: | | 17 May 2012 |
|
| Title: | | ETHNIC AREAS UPDATE: BURMA HEADS TOWARD CIVIL WAR |
| Date of publication: | | 29 June 2011 |
| Description/subject: | | • Despite the 7 November election’s illusory promise of an inclusive democratic
system, the situation in ethnic nationality areas continues to deteriorate...
• In addition to the ongoing offensives against ethnic non-ceasefire groups, the
Tatmadaw increasingly targeted ceasefire groups who rejected the regime’s
Border Guard Force (BGF) scheme...
• In Shan and Kachin States, the Tatmadaw broke ceasefire agreements signed in
1989 and 1994 respectively...
• Ongoing fighting between the Tatmadaw and ethnic ceasefire and non-ceasefire
groups displaced about 13,000 civilians in Kachin State, at least 700 in Northern
Shan State, and forced over 1,800 to flee from Karen State into Thailand...
• Civilians bore the brunt of the Tatmadaw’s military operations, which resulted in
the death of 15 civilians in Northern Shan State and five in Karen State...
Tatmadaw troops gang-raped at least 18 women and girls in Southern Kachin
State...
• Desertion continues to hit Tatmadaw battalions, including BGF units, engaged in
military operations in ethnic areas...
• Reports on the alleged use of chemical weapons by Tatmadaw troops surfaced
during offensives against Shan State Army-North forces...
• In February, in response to the Tatmadaw’s ongoing attacks in ethnic areas, 12
ethnic armed opposition groups, ceasefire groups, and political organizations
agreed to form a new coalition - the Union Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC)...
• The situation for residents living in conflict zones of ethnic States remains grim
as the regime re-launched its ‘four cuts’ policy which targets civilians...
• The situation is likely to continue due to Burma’s constitution and the recently
enacted laws, including the national conscription law. |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | ALTSEAN-Burma |
| Format/size: | | pdf (116K) |
| Date of entry/update: | | 30 June 2011 |
|
| Title: | | Myanmar tilts towards civil war |
| Date of publication: | | 29 June 2011 |
| Description/subject: | | "Myanmar moved closer to civil war in recent weeks after fighting broke out in Kachin State, a former ceasefire area in the remote northern region. Myanmar's newly elected government now faces ethnic insurgencies on three separate fronts, threatening internal and border security.
There is also the potential for more insurgent groups to take up arms and push their claims against the government. The escalating conflict is not going all the military's way and risks further stunting Myanmar's development and international confidence in its supposed democratic transition..." |
| Author/creator: | | Brian McCartan |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Asia Times Online |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Date of entry/update: | | 01 July 2011 |
|
| Title: | | Conflict or Peace? Ethnic Unrest Intensifies in Burma |
| Date of publication: | | June 2011 |
| Description/subject: | | "...The breakdown in the ceasefire of the Kachin
Independence Organisation (KIO) with the
central government represents a major failure
in national politics and threatens a serious
humanitarian crisis if not immediately addressed.
Over 11,000 refugees have been displaced
and dozens of casualties reported during
two weeks of fighting between government
forces and the KIO. Thousands of troops have
been mobilized, bridges destroyed and communications
disrupted, bringing hardship to communities
across northeast Burma/Myanmar.1
There is now a real potential for ethnic conflict to
further spread. In recent months, ceasefires
have broken down with Karen and Shan
opposition forces, and the ceasefire of the New
Mon State Party (NMSP) in south Burma is
under threat. Tensions between the government
and United Wa State Army (UWSA) also
continue.
It is essential that peace talks are initiated and
grievances addressed so that ethnic conflict in
Burma does not spiral into a new generation of
militarised violence and human rights abuse..." |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Transnational Institute (TNI) & Burma Centrum Nederland (BCN). Burma Policy Briefing Nr 7, June 2011 |
| Format/size: | | pdf (407K) |
| Date of entry/update: | | 25 June 2011 |
|
| Title: | | The war to come in Myanmar |
| Date of publication: | | 04 November 2010 |
| Description/subject: | | "...
From 1989 to 1995, about 15 groups signed ceasefire deals with the government. Some have held up, while others have dissolved back into armed hostility. For the Kachin, the agreement seemingly put an end to more than 30 years of war against government-backed forces...
The Kachin have always been an exception in Myanmar's complex ethnic jigsaw. Their state, at 89,000 square kilometers, or more than twice the size of Switzerland, is one the country's largest administrative entities. With an estimated population of just 1.36 million, according to most recent official statistics, it's also among the least inhabited - the country's has a population of up to 55 million people. It only takes a quick look at the map to realize that more than half of Kachin is filled with hard-to-navigate mountains.
The predominantly Christian Kachin ethnic population is estimated at 1.2 million, half of whom live in Kachin State and the other half elsewhere in the country. About 300,000 Kachin also live in neighboring China, where they are known as "Jinpo". For historical reasons, the Kachin have managed to develop a strong social and educational system, which has made them one of the country's most sophisticated ethnic groups.
Today, 16 years after its signing, their ceasefire agreement with the government has never looked more fragile. Major General Gam Shawng, KIA's chief of staff, sitting in his Laiza home, says unequivocally that "these years have been totally negative. The main idea behind the ceasefire, to reach a political solution, was never achieved."..." |
| Author/creator: | | Tony Cliff |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Asia Times Online |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Date of entry/update: | | 04 December 2011 |
|
| Title: | | Disquiet on the Northern Front |
| Date of publication: | | April 2010 |
| Description/subject: | | The uneasy peace in Kachin State is under constant pressure, as the Burmese junta's border guard force scheme meets continued resistance |
| Author/creator: | | Wai Moe |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | "The Irrawaddy" Vol. 18, No. 4 |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Alternate URLs: | | http://www2.irrawaddy.org/print_article.php?art_id=18223 |
| Date of entry/update: | | 19 April 2010 |
|
| Title: | | A Fragile Peace |
| Date of publication: | | February 2010 |
| Description/subject: | | The Kachin negotiate with the regime on the border guard force issue, while recruiting and training more soldiers...
"At the traditional Manau dance this year—held in Myitkyina, the capital of Burma’s northern Kachin State—Kachin soldiers were not allowed to dance in military uniforms. Earlier, the Burmese regime sent three members of the notorious Press Scrutiny and Registration Division to censor stories in the Kachin language newspaper that published articles about the festival, held annually on Kachin State Day, Jan. 10.
To show their unhappiness, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), which signed a cease-fire agreement with the junta in 1994, sent only 200 soldiers to the festival. Last year, about 2,000 KIA personnel joined the festivities..." |
| Author/creator: | | Yeni |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | "The Irrawaddy" Vol. 18, No. 2 |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Alternate URLs: | | http://www2.irrawaddy.org/print_article.php?art_id=17702 |
| Date of entry/update: | | 28 February 2010 |
|
| Title: | | A Rocky Road |
| Date of publication: | | November 2005 |
| Description/subject: | | Kachin State's growing ethnic and environmental troubles...
"In recent years, many political analysts in Burma and abroad have predicted growing strife in the country’s troubled ethnic regions, warning that ceasefire agreements with the ruling junta would not guarantee lasting peace. The current instability in Burma’s Kachin State bears these warnings out..." |
| Author/creator: | | Khun Sam |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | "The Irrawaddy" Vol. 13, No. 11 |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Date of entry/update: | | 01 May 2006 |
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