KIO Calls for Unified Offensive to Oust ‘Crisis-Hit’ Myanmar Junta
By The Irrawaddy 7 February 2023
The Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), one of Myanmar’s most powerful ethnic groups, has called for rapid and unified resistance to oust a military junta in crisis.
The call was made by General N’Ban La, chairman of KIO, the political wing of the Kachin Independence Army, in a speech on Sunday marking the 62nd anniversary of Armed Forces Day. The call, delivered in the Kachin language, was quoted in local state media.
The KIO chairman said the military junta has not been recognized as a legitimate government by the international community, including some neighboring countries, and lacked the protection of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
“The people and all revolutionary groups need to unify as a single resistance force and destroy all plans and aims of this junta in crisis,” N’Ban La said.
“If we delay or fight the junta separately during these crisis conditions for the regime, it will be more difficult to uproot the military dictatorship.”
Ousting the military dictatorship has become the common ambition of Myanmar’s people, he said. That was why the KIA had joined the revolution by cooperating with the country’s parallel National Unity Government (NUG) and its People’s Defense Force (PDF) armed wing.
The KIO chief added that amid its military operations against ethnic groups, the junta was promoting sham peace talks to fool the international community into thinking that its targeted victims were the perpetrators.
N’Ban La, 79, temporarily stepped down from his post in January.
In his New Year speech, the KIO chair called the junta the enemy of all citizens and urged the populace and ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) to launch a decisive offensive against the regime.
The KIA has trained and armed several thousand activists who joined the armed resistance after regime forces killed hundreds of peaceful anti-coup demonstrators across the country.
The armed group recently intensified its attacks with PDFs on regime targets not only in Kachin State but also in northern Shan State and upper Sagaing Region.
Clashes are now being reported daily as PDFs and EAOs escalate their offensive against the junta.
