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Founded – 5 February 1961 Headquarters – Laiza, Kachin State Areas of Operation – 39 Townships in Kachin, Shan (North), Mandalay, and Sagaing Chairman – General N’Ban La Vice Chairman – General Gam Shawng General Secretary – Kumhtat Hting Nan Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/thekachinnet Website – https://www.kachinnet.net/ The KIO/KIA, which holds the position of Chairman (2) in the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC), has been in full cooperation with the CRPH and the NUG. The KIO/KIA plays a leading role in the Central Command and Coordination Committee (C3C), which is considered the military arm of the Spring Revolution for ending the military dictatorship. It is leading operations in Military Region (1), which includes the Kachin, Sagaing, Chin, Shan (North), Magway, and Mandalay. KIA-led joint resistance forces have been active in 39 townships across four states and regions: Kachin, Shan (North), Mandalay, and Sagaing. They have exerted the most intense military pressure on the military junta. On 7 March 2024, they launched “Operation 0307” to eliminate all junta positions in Kachin State. So far, the KIO/KIA has controlled 16 towns and a large number of junta positions. After capturing the last remaining town of Kan Paik Ti in Kachin Special Region (1), which was led by U Zahkung Ting Ying, the KIO/KIA announced on 28 November that they had abolished Kachin Special Region (1), a region that had been used by successive military governments to maintain power through a policy of divide-and-rule. They also invited all local residents and investors who had been under the administration of Special Region (1) to join hands without fear and work together to build comprehensive development. NUG Acting President Duwa Lashi La has stated that the KIO/KIA is a party to the six-point political objective in the “joint position statement by allied organizations engaged in revolutionary struggle towards annihilation of military dictatorship and establishment of a Federal Democratic Union.” Despite withdrawing from the NUCC, Lieutenant General Gun Maw, one of senior KIO leaders, has often been present in meetings between the Kachin Political Interim Coordination Team (KPICT) and the CRPH. In July 2025, Lieutenant General was seen in frequent meetings and negotiations with resistance forces. In August 2025, he also held separate talks with the Chin Brotherhood (CB) and the Yaw Army (YA). Lieutenant General Gun Maw has stated that the goal is for groups with similar goals and contiguous territories to consolidate and become self-reliant. He added that the KIO/KIA is almost always in contact with other ethnic resistance organizations. Despite pressure from the Chinese government, the KIO/KIA remains in full cooperation on all fronts – military, political, and international- to pressure the military junta during the Spring Revolution.
Reference: Deciphering Myanmar’s Peace Process – A Reference Guide (2024 – 2025) |
