NDA-K Attacked KIO
July 04, 2006

The Kachin Post

A Kachin ceasefire group New Democratic Army-Kachin, NDA-K, had attacked other ceasefire group Kachin Independence Organization, KIO, in northern Burma on last Thursday, according to sources from KIO.

One KIO armed member was killed when the fighting broke out. The shooting started just after 60 members of NDA-K rounded up the KIO’s Kang Zang Bum outpost in north eastern Kachin State and ordered KIO soldiers to lay down their arms. The incident location is about 40 miles north east of Kachin State capital Myitkyina.

KIO officer, who is under condition of anonymity, said nine member of KIO, including the officer Ze Lum, were captured by NDA-K. Eight of nine KIO members were later handed over to 59 miles Burma Army post, the location closed to the fighting incident. Only the captured Ze Lum was taken to NDA-K headquarters Pang Wa for interrogation.

Meanwhile, KIO officially urged NDA-K to return KIO members with arms. However, there is no reply from NDA-K yet. “We will retaliate when our unilateral deadline to return our members is over,” said the KIO officer. Currently, KIO deploys over 600 soldiers along the N’mai Hku region, which is closed to NDA-K control area.

Analysts believed that KIO seems to be unaware of the main reason behind the NDA-K attack on its group. However, NDA-K leader Zahkung Ting Ying accuses KIO is behind the power struggle amongst the NDA-K by supporting NDA-K’s rival leader Layawk Ze Lum (not the Ze Lum who recently captuered by NDA-K).

Ze Lum and his army took control NDA-K headquarters for two weeks of period in 2005 September and stormed Kampaiti, the NDA-K’s second largest control based, in 2006 May. Both actions of Ze Lum were later wiped out by the Ting Ying led NDA-K.