Tuesday, 15 January 2013
Winding up the 4-day United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) meeting yesterday, General Secretary of the 11 member organization alliance Nai Hongsa reiterated this morning that there would be nothing to talk about at the next round of peace talks with Naypyitaw’s point man U Aung Min as long as the offensive against Laiza, the headquarters of its leading member Kachin Independence Organization / Kachin Independence Army (KIO/KIA) continues.

“We will meet,” he said. “But it will be to demand immediate cessation of hostilities, and nothing else.” (SHAN – 11 Jan 2013)

The alliance group made the public statement at a press conference held on the Thai-Burma border saying they have agreed on ways of helping Kachin from their recent meeting. According to Colonel Khun Okka – joint secretary of the UNFC, if the government does not stop the fighting, the group will take actions to help Kachin.

Speaking to Karen News, Khun Okka said.

“We are meeting Union Minister U Aung Min by the end of this month and we will demand him the stop to the fighting in Kachin State. After that, if the fighting doesn’t stop, we will take action according to what we’ve prepared.”

Colonel Khun Okka reaffirmed that the UNFC had made a fresh agreement again that for political process, the group will not talk with the government individually but to enter political dialogue together as a party with the government. (Karen Information Group – 14 Jan 2013)

United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) issued an ultimatum to Burmese military (Bamah Tatmadaw) to stop military offensives in Kachin State by June 10, 2012 during its last meeting attended by the UNFC central executive committee members and key leaders of the member organizations on May 9, 2012 at Thai-Burma border. The statement said, “if the Bamah Tatmadaw does not stop its transgression and military offensives in Kachin State by June 10, 2012, UNFC members, who have agreed ceasefire with U Thein Sein government, have decided to review the peace process and future programs, including the preliminary ceasefire agreements reached”. (Kachinland  News – 13 June 2012)

The above are news clipping from various sources on UNFC position, regarding the armed conflict in Kachin State.

This time around, we hope that the UNFC will come up with real actions, such as terminating the existing ceasefire agreements of all of its members that have signed initial truce with the government, withdrawing all liaison offices set up by its members, and step up military activities to lessen the military pressure on the KIA, among others.

If the UNFC let its ultimatum pass again without concrete actions or undertakings, its political standing and commitment will go down the drain and only become a laughing stock for Thein Sein regime, the general public and as well, for all other ethnic and democratic opposition groups. In short, it will have no more leverage or credential left, which is a life-and-death issue for such a political and military front.

Hopefully, the UNFC heavy weights, such as KNU, SSA –N and NMSP will honour their pledges and come to the rescue of the KIA, to thwart the government’s “divide and rule” policy, which has been crucial to pursue its Burman racial chauvinism , oppression and enslaving all the non-Burman ethnic nationalities for decades.