• Burmese
Tuesday, July 15, 2025
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The Irrawaddy
27 °c
Yangon
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
No Result
View All Result
The Irrawaddy
No Result
View All Result
Home In Person

Laiza Mayor: ‘The Government and the Army are on the Same Side’

Nan Lwin Hnin Pwint by Nan Lwin Hnin Pwint
February 2, 2017
in In Person
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0 0
A A
Laiza Mayor Naw San / Nan Lwin Hnin Pwint / The Irrawaddy

Laiza Mayor Naw San / Nan Lwin Hnin Pwint / The Irrawaddy

10.9k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Fierce clashes between the Burma Army and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in Kachin State’s Waingmaw Township between August 2016 and January 2017 led to the KIA losing four major outposts and several smaller outposts.

Displaced persons at Zai Awng, Hkau Shau, and Mugga Yang camps in Waingmaw Township were forced to flee from their camps as artillery shells fell around them. Currently, around 3,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) are taking shelter in Laiza—the headquarters of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and its armed wing, the KIA—as well as in adjacent areas under the KIA’s control.

The Burma Army, in a Jan. 8 statement, accused the KIA of perpetrating violence in order to prevent regional stability and development. It also accused the armed group of using civilians as human shields in the form of hosting IDP camps.

RelatedPosts

Myanmar People Skeptical of Junta’s Promises of Election, Peace

Myanmar People Skeptical of Junta’s Promises of Election, Peace

July 7, 2025
1.1k
Thirteen Myanmar junta aircraft shot down since coup

Thirteen Myanmar junta aircraft shot down since coup

July 5, 2025
1.5k
Civilians Trapped in Fighting Near Myanmar’s Jade Mining Hub

Civilians Trapped in Fighting Near Myanmar’s Jade Mining Hub

May 29, 2025
903

Ethnic Kachin activists have said that the Burma Army’s offensives in the region have caused bottlenecks in peace negotiation, speculating that state security forces had chosen to threaten the KIA headquarters in order to gain an upper hand at the negotiation table.

The KIO has its own administrative mechanisms, including a police force and firefighters. Laiza Mayor Naw San recently sat down with The Irrawaddy’s Nan Lwin Hnin Pwint and talked about the latest developments in the area.

Clashes went on for more than five months around Laiza. What is the situation like there now?

The military tensions are still a little bit high around our town. Anyway, as we are responsible for the safety of civilians in our town, we have emergency plans. We have told them what to do in cases of emergency. We have chosen safe places to evacuate elderly persons and children if something happens.

Were there any residents who moved away from Laiza during the clashes?

No, they stayed in the town, as we had plans to evacuate elderly persons and children.

How many people are there in Laiza? Are all of them families of KIA members? What is the civilian population?

There are around 20,000 people, including IDPs. Civilians include those holding Foreign Registration Certificates (FRC). Families of KIA members only account for 30 or 35 percent of the population. There are more civilians.

The military tensions were high during the attacks on Gideon and Lai Hpawng outposts. How was the situation in Laiza at that time?

At that time, we allowed civilians and vehicles to enter and leave Laiza, but the government didn’t. There were restrictions. If we needed to go through their gates for the sake of town residents and IDPs, we had to ask for the help of the Kachin Baptist Convention senior members who would go and make a request that they let us through.

If somebody from Laiza goes into the areas controlled by the government, does the government or the military question or investigate them?

There are regular checks by the Burma Army, and these days, they have tightened the checks.

Did artillery shells fall on Laiza at the time of the clashes?

During the clash at Gideon outpost, artillery shells fell just around 80 feet from the IDP camps in Laiza, as well as around 30 feet from the lake where IDPs bathe. And artillery shells also fell in a village and a ward. Fortunately, it was early in the morning and no one got injured.

There were severe clashes in the areas surrounding Laiza under the previous government. And there have also been fierce clashes under the new government. So, what is your comparison of the military situation then and now? 

As far as I’m concerned, there is not much difference. But it appears to me that the security conditions and the pressure from the other side [Burma Army] are worse than in previous times.

Many Kachin people voted for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) with the expectation that she would bring about peace for them. But there have been more clashes under the new government, and the new government has kept silent. What is your view on this?

In my view, the government and the army are on the same side. The new government is no different from the previous one. The government talked about peace at the 21st Century Panglong Conference. But, we have not seen any signs of it yet.

In their statements these days, the Burma Army has said that victims in IDP camps are in fact family members of the KIA, and that the KIA have been building human shields. In addition, some people speculate that there are only KIA family members in Laiza, and no civilians. What do you want to say about it?

It is just a one-sided statement. They know how many IDPs are there in our IDP camps. Those camps shelter IDPs who dare not pin hopes on tomorrow. Their statement is biased.

Civilians have to bear the brunt of clashes between the Burma Army and the KIA. They have to flee for their lives, and most of them have fled into areas controlled by the KIA. Why don’t they flee into government-controlled areas?

It is mainly the problem of the government. If it were benevolent, IDPs would have no reason to take shelter with us. Normally, they would question displaced persons who came to take shelter in the areas under their control, and there are a lot of restrictions. So, IDPs do not feel ease to go to them. If they open the door and accept them warmly, IDPs would have no reason not to go to them.

The government should take responsibility for their safety, and provide them with sources of livelihoods because IDPs are our citizens. They are not foreigners.

How has the number of IDPs changed in Laiza following the clashes?

There is an increase of over 200 in two IDP camps. They are coming in gradually. Some have not yet registered, and we have not yet received the final list. But as far as I know, there are over 200 people.

What is your message, as the mayor of Laiza, to the government?

The independence has been nominal since we were gained it in 1948. And the military ruled the country under different names. If this remains unchanged, when will the country be peaceful? If they were willing to compromise some of the demands of ethnicities, we could achieve peace, I think.

The current government has a big burden to bear and their main responsibility should be peace. If the government makes an effort with loving-kindness, there is no reason peace can’t be achieved. All are [equal] citizens, and this is what ethnic armed groups have been demanding. We will never, ever achieve peace if [the government] would rule us by putting us under military pressure. They have to be aware of this and exercise restraint.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko

Your Thoughts …
Tags: ConflictEthnic IssuesKachin Independence Army (KIA)Kachin State
Nan Lwin Hnin Pwint

Nan Lwin Hnin Pwint

The Irrawaddy

Similar Picks:

China-Backed Illegal Rare Earth Mining Surging in Northern Myanmar
Burma

China-Backed Illegal Rare Earth Mining Surging in Northern Myanmar

by Yan Naing
July 15, 2022
34.8k

A Myanmar military-backed militia in Kachin State is protecting Chinese-run mines that produce coveted rare earth minerals used in hi-tech...

Read moreDetails
‘Midnight Massacre’ at IDP Camp in Myanmar a War Crime: KIA
Burma

‘Midnight Massacre’ at IDP Camp in Myanmar a War Crime: KIA

by The Irrawaddy
October 10, 2023
18.8k

Death toll expected to rise after bombs obliterated village for internally displaced persons in Kachin State shortly before midnight on...

Read moreDetails
Myanmar Junta Troops Escape to China After KIA Attack
Burma

Myanmar Junta Troops Escape to China After KIA Attack

by Saw Reh
January 23, 2024
14.2k

The Kachin Independence Army says it seized around 30 regime soldiers in Mansi Township along the Chinese border. 

Read moreDetails
Myanmar Military Loses Historic Outpost on Road to China in Kachin State
Burma

Myanmar Military Loses Historic Outpost on Road to China in Kachin State

by Hein Htoo Zan
April 1, 2024
11k

After more than 60 years of operation, the key junta outpost on the road linking Bhamo to the border with...

Read moreDetails
Myanmar Civil Society, Burmanization, and the Bars and Coffee Shops of Thailand
Guest Column

Myanmar Civil Society, Burmanization, and the Bars and Coffee Shops of Thailand

by R. J. Aung and Tony Waters
November 18, 2023
10.9k

After the 2021 coup the donors, NGOs and CSOs of ‘Peaceland’ decamped from Yangon to Thailand, but their Western, ‘we-know-best’...

Read moreDetails
KIA Seizes Final Border Force HQ Despite Chinese Pressure
War Against the Junta

KIA Seizes Final Border Force HQ Despite Chinese Pressure

by The Irrawaddy
November 1, 2024
10.6k

The Kachin Independence Army has defeated all three Border Guard Force battalion headquarters along the Chinese frontier in Kachin State....

Read moreDetails
Load More
Next Post
Muslims in Rangoon line up to vote in the 2015 election. / Lawi Weng / The Irrawaddy

Muslim Political Party Asks to Join Union Day Event

A campaign against child sex abuse takes place in Rangoon, Nov. 27, 2016. / The Irrawaddy

Proposal to Assign Death Penalty for Child Rape Hits Setback

No Result
View All Result

Recommended

Trump’s Tariffs to Hit Myanmar’s Garment Manufacturers Hard

Trump’s Tariffs to Hit Myanmar’s Garment Manufacturers Hard

5 days ago
1.2k
China’s Surveillance State Watches Everyone, Everywhere

China’s Surveillance State Watches Everyone, Everywhere

7 days ago
1.1k

Most Read

  • Myanmar Junta’s ‘Living Fence’ on Thai Border Falls to Karen Resistance

    Myanmar Junta’s ‘Living Fence’ on Thai Border Falls to Karen Resistance

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • ‘Las Vegas in Laos’: the Riverside City Awash With Crime

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Myanmar Junta Launches Space Agency With Russian Help

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • TNLA Invites Investment in Ruby and Mineral Towns Amid Myanmar Junta Onslaught

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Myanmar Junta Chief Thanks Trump for Shutting Down VOA and RFA

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Newsletter

Get The Irrawaddy’s latest news, analyses and opinion pieces on Myanmar in your inbox.

Subscribe here for daily updates.

Contents

  • News
  • Politics
  • War Against the Junta
  • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
  • Conflicts In Numbers
  • Junta Crony
  • Ethnic Issues
  • Asia
  • World
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Election 2020
  • Elections in History
  • Cartoons
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Commentary
  • Guest Column
  • Analysis
  • Letters
  • In Person
  • Interview
  • Profile
  • Dateline
  • Specials
  • Myanmar Diary
  • Women & Gender
  • Places in History
  • On This Day
  • From the Archive
  • Myanmar & COVID-19
  • Intelligence
  • Myanmar-China Watch
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Fashion & Design
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Photo Essay
  • Donation

About The Irrawaddy

Founded in 1993 by a group of Myanmar journalists living in exile in Thailand, The Irrawaddy is a leading source of reliable news, information, and analysis on Burma/Myanmar and the Southeast Asian region. From its inception, The Irrawaddy has been an independent news media group, unaffiliated with any political party, organization or government. We believe that media must be free and independent and we strive to preserve press freedom.

  • Copyright
  • Code of Ethics
  • Privacy Policy
  • Team
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Burmese

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Business Roundup
  • Books
  • Donation

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.