Deputy Chairman of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), Deputy General Gun Maw, has issued a statement on social media clarifying that the KIO did not initiate peace talks with the military council. Instead, it was the military that approached KIO with a proposal for online discussions. In response to this proposal, the KIO indicated they could send representatives for face-to-face talks in Myitkyina rather than conducting online discussions, but received no further response from the military council.
According to Deputy General Gun Maw, following a peace dialogue held in Naypyidaw last year, the military council reached out through the Peace Creation Group (PCG) expressing interest in online discussions with the KIO. The KIO responded by proposing direct talks in Myitkyina instead of online meetings, but the military council did not follow up on this suggestion. When the PCG made another approach in recent months, the KIO maintained their original position regarding the format of potential discussions. Deputy General Gun Maw explained that while the KIO has not made separate public announcements about their stance on peace, they have communicated their position to Chinese, Japanese, and international diplomatic representatives.
Deputy General Gun Maw also revealed that the KIO maintains regular discussions with various ethnic revolutionary organizations. He mentioned their first face-to-face meeting with the Chin Brotherhood (CB) group, noting that meetings with Chin ethnic CB and CNF organizations represent both fraternal gatherings between Kachin and Chin peoples as well as strategic discussions between revolutionary organizations. These ongoing interactions demonstrate the KIO’s commitment to maintaining dialogue with allied ethnic armed organizations while maintaining their position regarding direct talks with the military council only under specific conditions and in appropriate venues.
