The Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) has said that it stands by its policy of only signing an all-inclusive Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA).

“Looking to a solid ceasefire agreement, the KIO will stick to its policy of signing the NCA together with every other ethnic armed group,” said a statement by the group’s Central Committee on 22 August.

The KIO decision comes just over a week after other players in the ethnic alliance, notably the Karen National Union (KNU) and All Burma Students Democratic Front, announced that they would sign the NCA regardless of whether the agreement included six groups rejected by the Burmese government: the Kokang militia known as Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA); the Ta-ang National Liberation Army (TNLA); Arakan Army (AA); Wa National Organisation (WNO); Lahu Democratic Union (LDU); and Arakan National Council (ANC).

The KIO formally presented its announcement this weekend at a meeting of the ethnic armed groups’ Senior Delegation (EAO-SD) held in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand.

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Following the KIO statement, KNU Vice-president Naw Zipporah Sein was reported as airing her own doubts that the peace process was moving forward. The delegates broke up with the decision made to extend the summit by an extra day to Monday, 24 August.

The EAO-SD is scheduled to meet with Burma’s President Thein Sein and Commander-in-Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyidaw at the end of August.

Read more about the ceasefire talks