In a bid to counter the military junta’s political onslaught of holding elections; employment of lobby firm in US to woo the Trump’s government; heightened counteroffensive against the ethnic resistance organizations (EROs) or ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) captured towns, including successful retaking of Nawnghkio, Mobye and Thebeikkyin; and visiting Panghsang and Mongla to dispel its mishap in declaration of emergency rule in United Wa State Army (UWSA) territory of Hopang and National Democratic Alliance Army’s (NDAA) or Mongla; Kachin Independence Organization/Army (KIO/KIA) have been meeting various EROs or EAOs and also National Unity Government (NUG) to streamline the effectiveness of the alliance of ethnic-democratic forces on the ground.

To date KIO leader General Gun Maw has met the NUG, Chin Brotherhood (CB) and Yaw Army (YA) or Yaw Tattaw in Laiza, where the meetings were believed to be held on how to practically cooperate and coordinate practically, although no details were spelled out for public consumption.

BBC recent report indicated that the KIO also met Myingyan District, Battalion 7, Zero guerrilla group leader Ko Thet Kyee on last week of July, before meeting with the Yaw Army (YA) or Yaw Tattaw. Thus, the KIO has met 4 groups, NUG, CB, Yaw Army and Zero guerrilla setup in less than 3 weeks time span.

However, another report said that YA although it has met with the KIA in April just made known of its meeting on August 9, according to the report; and CB met the KIA during third week of July.

Solidifying Alliance

NUG’s Laiza visit was also part of the game plan to fasten the pace of alliance in order to be workable and effective practically on the ground, as the junta is moving ahead with full speed politically and militarily in a bid to outdo the anti-junta opposition groups in general.

Recently, on the heel’s of NUG’s Laiza visit, it sends message on Kachin Martyrs’ Day, expressing confidence that they can work together to achieve the revolutionary goal on August 10, 2025.

The National Unity Government (NUG) expressed confidence that it can work closely with its allies, Kachin ethnic leaders, and Kachin revolutionary forces, to achieve the common goal of the revolution.

In NUG’s message, it writes despite the great loss of the leaders, the unity of the Kachin people and the vision of their good leaders can be seen who have been able to carry forward the goal of the Kachin revolution for decades by uniting the Kachin revolutionary front, the KIO/KIA, and the Kachin people.

In the current Spring Revolution, the goals of the National Unity Government and the people of Burma are, to fight against the military dictatorship until its end and to achieve national equality. It also expresses its firm belief that it will work closely with the allied Kachin ethnic leaders and Kachin revolutionary forces to build a federal democratic union system with full self-determination and achieve the common goal of revolution.

While there has been no public statement on details of the agreement between the NUG and KIO, it is quiet clear that both parties are for more cooperation and coordination besides their military cooperation in which KIA is responsible for the Military Regional Command 1.

The KIO/KIA takes a leadership role in the Central Command and Coordination Committee (C3C) formed by the NUG Ministry of Defense and the four EROs – Kachin Independence Organization/Kachin Independence Army (KIO/KIA), Karen National Union/Karen National Liberation Army (KNU/KNLA), Karenni National Progressive Party/Karenni Army (KNPP/KA), Chin National Front/Chin National Army (CNF/CNA) – dubbed as “K3C”, according to the report titled: “The KIO/KIA: Political Unknowns,” by BNI, 13 May, 2024.

“Under the C3C, the military leadership of the KIO/KIA is expected to be seen across Regional Command-1 (Kachin, Sagaing, Chin, Shan (North), Magway, and Mandalay), as well as in the northern and western regions of Myanmar. Despite the political unknowns surrounding the KIO/KIA regarding their participation in marching towards creation of a federal democratic union, their role may become more visible over time,” writes the BNI report.

Chin Brotherhood

The Kachin Independence Organization/Army (KIO/KIA) Central Committee member and Kachin Independence Council (KIC) Vice Chairman, Deputy Commander-in-Chief General Gun Maw, met with leaders from the Yaw Tat Taw (YA), according to a YA statement issued on the evening of August 9.

YA didn’t make any public statement on its meeting with the KIO except posting some photos of the meeting.

However, the CB Spokesman Salai Yaw Marn gave exclusive interviews to several media outlets.

CB members, Chin Regional Defense Force (CDF)-Min Tat, Chin National Defense Force (CNDF), CDF Matupi, CDF Kanpetlet, PDF Zolan, and Mara Defense Force (MDF) visited the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO/KIA) headquarters in Laiza and held separate meetings with the National Unity Government (NUG) and KIO leaders. CB spokesperson Salai Yaw Marn was contacted by People’s Spring on August 8 to discuss the CB leaders’ visit to Laiza.

Salai Yaw Marn said that its six members were invited to meet the KIO to be able to work together and the trip took them about a month with the meeting taking pace during the third week of July.

In the course of the visit, the CB also met NUG Interim President Duwa Lashi La and other Union Minister, where they talked about on how to make cooperation more effective in terms of military for the CB forces in the areas adjacent to territories, such as Magway and Sagaing, and how it would participate in the offensive.

Salai Yaw Marn said that they have already prepared to participate in the offensive in the areas adjacent to our territory but have not discussed it specifically because the NUG already understood it; and that it will be the responsibility for those concerned with the military operation in details.

On alliance cooperation and coordination, he said: “We want to have a closer relationship with the KIO/KIA than before, and we will work together strategically. And we will mainly discuss how to work together to make this revolution move forward. How we should be doing both at the national level and at the KIO/KIA level, how we could continue to be connected, how we could continue to work together to make this revolution move forward, and so on.”

Regarding KIO’s political outlook, he praised: “The KIO/KIA considers for the whole country. As I said earlier, they think strategically. They think big. They think far. Big and far includes the Kachins. But this is not just for the Kachins. As a whole country, it is about sharing its resources and manpower. When you see something like that, you know that thinking about moving as a whole country involves thinking strategically. That’s how you see it,” according to People’s Spring report.

On the KIA and NUG comment on the tense situation between the Chin Brotherhood and the Chinland Council he elaborated: “The KIA believes that such are things that happen in the course of the revolution. There are similar stories within the KIO/KIA that have happened before, how they overcame them, and were encouraged to compare their examples and their history (with our present experience). The main thing is encouraging us to resolve the problem through negotiations. They themselves (KIA and NUG) are ready to participate in helping us within their own capacity. The main thing is that both the NUG and the KIA encourage us to go through negotiations and find a solution. They were pushing us to overcome this sad situation to resolve it (peacefully),” according to the interview conducted by The Irrawaddy.

Analysis

It is now quite clear that the KIO is taking seriously to counter the military junta moves by trying to rebuild its somewhat neglectful solidarity alliance-building in the past.

Although it was firmly militarily in alliance with the other EROs, under the so-called K3C plus NUB military alliance, it later has been reluctant to be identified with it, so much so, that the revolutionary groups began to mention it as K2C, which is KNU, KNPP and CNF.

It may well be because of the Kachin Political Interim Coordination Team (KPICT) which describes itself as the coordination body of five Kachin organizations representing the political aspirations of the Kachin people is no more in National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC), for whatever reason it may have in store. Moreover, it could be because of the Chinese pressure ranging from not to be engaged with the NUG and affiliation groups, to threatening not to buy rare earth elements (REE) from the KIA.

Whatever the case the recent KIA meeting with CRPH may be the turning point of its policy changes in official sense.

KPICT representatives including KIA senior leader Lieutenant-General Gun Maw met on July 31 with the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CPRH), a body formed by lawmakers in the 2020 general election.

CRPH spokesman U Sithu Maung said both the KPICT and KIA admitted that they are under Chinese pressure to lay down arms against the junta but vowed to continue their cooperation, according to The Irrawaddy report of August 5.

During the meeting, the KPICT reiterated its commitment to its stated objectives of “ending authoritarianism and promulgating a genuine federal union” despite pressure from China, U Sithu Maung said.

All these explain the KPICT reiteration of its “ending authoritarianism and promulgating a genuine federal union” despite pressure from China, U Sithu Maung said.

According to the KPICT and KIA they have plans to respond to the junta’s planned elections in Kachin State, which are widely seen as stage-managed and manipulated exercise to keep the military class in power.

No wonder that the KIO is now coming out in the open to meet the ant-junta revolutionary groups in an attempt to build all encompassed alliance of EROs, NUG and other armed resistance groups as much as possible.

Actually, the KIA has been training and arming young people from central Myanmar who are determined to fight the military regime following its brutal crackdown on the peaceful rallies that were against the military coup in 2021.

The KIA is also among ethnic armed organizations that have been training and arming young people from central Myanmar who decided to take up arms against the regime following its brutal crackdown on peaceful anti-coup protesters in 2021.

Now let us hope that the belated openness of KIO unity initiative will propel all opposition groups to fight in unison against the military junta and may be able to deliver the people’s aspirations sooner than later.