Exclusive Interview
with KIA Vice-Chief of Staff
By THE IRRAWADDY Thursday, March 8, 2012
Gen Sumlut Gun Maw,
the vice-chief of staff of the Kachin Independence Army, discusses ongoing
negotiations with the Burmese government. (Photo: Irrawaddy)
Gen Gun Maw, the vice-chief of staff of the
Kachin Independence Army, talks exclusively with The Irrawaddy at his command center in Laiza. Behind
the general hangs a picture of Aung San Suu Kyi while a projector streams video
from the talks in Ruili and a banner which reads “God is our Victory” hangs
nearby.
With negotiations between the Kachin
Independence Organization (KIO) and Burmese government restarting in the
Chinese bordertown of Ruili on Thursday, Sumlut Gun Maw explains the key
factors for achieving a lasting peace.
Question: What are the conditions you bring to the table at the talks between the
KIO and the Burmese government in Ruili today?
Answer: We have already suggested to them
that we proceed in three stages: firstly the preliminary stage of
talks, secondly a national political dialogue and thirdly
the implementation of the political accord reached.
The main intention is
to get equal rights and self-determination
as agreed upon in the Panglong
Agreement signed in 1947.
Now we are just at a preliminary stage
preceding real negotiations. Before this dialogue can start, we demand eight
conditions to be met. These preliminary talks have to start, and they are now
taking place in Ruili. Both parties have to show willingness for political
dialogue. Both parties must agree to report news only according to the facts.
Neither party should make slanderous accusations of the other.
Information on the
preliminary talks has to be made publicly known. The fact is that the
territories controlled by the two armed forces are intertwined, so we demand
that clear lines be drawn and the forces be relocated behind those
clear lines of control. If civilians
or soldiers are detained, they should be released immediately. We demand
liaison offices to be established on both sides to ensure proper communication
channels.
After these conditions
are met, we are willing to enter into a political dialogue. As a first step we
call for a grand national assembly, possibly in Panlong. This convention should
lead to an agreement between the government and all ethnic communities in
Burma.
We want to work
together in every aspect of the ensuing development process, be it in infrastructure
etc., and ensure that villages are rebuilt and victims compensated. After these
political negotiations we demand the implementation of the agreements reached.
To sum up, in a first step we are talking now in Ruili, after these talks we
want that all ethnic communities of Burma come together and reach a political
accord, and thirdly we want this agreement to be implemented.
Q: Why did the last round of preliminary talks in January fail?
A: At a preliminary level, we can’t say
whether talks are a failure or a success. It’s not like the media reported. We are demanding for political dialogue
first, the government is only talking
about a ceasefire.
Since 1994, we have
been in a situation of ceasefire waiting for political dialogue.
Concession KIO made since 1994
We entered into a
ceasefire agreement in 1994, participated in the National Convention in 2004,
we have participated in every step of the process of drafting the constitution.
We even agreed to hold the referendum on the constitution in KIO-controlled
areas and held it. We did not obstruct the elections in 2010 and we told the
public to vote as they wished. We have been telling the public to form a Kachin
political party since late 2008, but the government did not allow the
registration of the party.
Before the 2010
elections, they told us we should wait for the new government after the
election to have a political dialogue. Then, they forced us to transform into
the Border Guard Force in 2009. After the elections, they still did not accept
a political dialogue. Based on these tensions, the conflict
started in 2011.
Now the
international community understands that the KIO doesn’t want a
ceasefire agreement. The Burmese government is telling the international
community that we don’t want to sign the ceasefire agreement, but they
don’t tell them of our efforts for political dialogue over the last 17
years. Nobody sees our efforts.
Q: Your talks with the Burmese government
are hosted by China, how do you evaluate your relations with the
Chinese government?
A: We have to have a relationship with
China and a good one, because we share a border with them. They just want
stability along the border.
