The National Unity Government (NUG) has pledged to work more closely with the leadership of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and Kachin Independence Army (KIA) to completely eliminate the military dictatorship system. This commitment was announced in a commemorative message sent to the 50th anniversary of Kachin Martyrs’ Day ceremony held on August 10, 2023. The NUG emphasized its dedication to working alongside Kachin ethnic leaders and revolutionary forces to achieve the shared goals of the Spring Revolution, which include the complete removal of military dictatorship, achieving full national equality, and establishing a federal democratic union with the right to self-determination.
The NUG paid tribute to all Kachin national leaders, ethnic civilians, and revolutionary comrades who have sacrificed their lives from the time of Myanmar’s independence struggle to the current Spring Revolution period. The government expressed its firm belief in achieving revolutionary goals through close cooperation with Kachin ethnic leaders and revolutionary forces. These goals encompass the complete elimination of military dictatorship, achieving national equality, and establishing a federal democratic union system with full self-determination rights.
On August 10, 1973, three top leaders of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and Kachin Independence Army (KIA) – General Lahtaw Zau Seng (Chairman and Commander-in-Chief), Lahtaw Zau Tu (Deputy Commander-in-Chief), and Salang Kaba Pungshwi Zau Seng (General Secretary) – were assassinated by agents of the dictatorship while traveling from their foreign relations office in Bangkok, Thailand, to a KIA camp in Chiang Mai district. This incident represents a historic loss for the entire Kachin people and is commemorated annually on August 10 as Kachin Martyrs’ Day. Despite this significant setback, the NUG’s message praised the unity of the Kachin people and the vision of their leaders, who have maintained the KIO/KIA’s revolutionary goals for decades through strong solidarity and effective leadership.
