Lieutenant General Gun Maw, a leader of the Kachin Independence Organization/Kachin Independence Army (KIO/KIA) and Vice Chairman-1 of the Kachin Independence Council (KIC), detailed the KIO/KIA’s role, participation, and future vision during the Spring Revolution. He delivered these remarks at the 65th anniversary of Kachin Revolution Day, held on 8 February 2026, in Texas, USA.
The KIO/KIA leader explained that on the morning of the military coup 1 February 2021 the KIO Central Committee decided to join forces with prodemocracy groups and resist the military junta. He further clarified that the interim agreements signed between the Kachin Political Interim Coordination Team (KPICT) which includes the KIO and the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH) remain valid until the end of the interim period. He noted that this interim period is defined as lasting until a strong and legitimate government is established in the Union.
Furthermore, he noted ongoing online meetings between the KIO and other resistance forces including the National Unity Government (NUG), the Karen National Union (KNU), the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), and the Chin National Front (CNF) collectively referred to as NUG+K3C. Their discussions prioritize reunification, reorganization, and strategies for a successful revolution. Lt-Gen Gun Maw sent a clear message that since they are working in unity with all resistance forces, the junta cannot resolve issues by meeting with the KIO alone. He also stated that the junta has been questioned on whether it is willing to engage in dialogue with the NUG. Furthermore, the KIO/KIA leader emphasized that the KIO no longer accepts negotiations conducted separately with individual groups, and that this position has been communicated to the international community and neighboring countries.
Citing an investigative report by Reuters which states that Iran’s so-called “ghost ships” have been supplying fuel for the Myanmar military junta’s aerial attack campaigns, U.S. Republican Senator Mitch McConnell pointed out that the Chinese and Iranian governments are treating Myanmar as a testing ground for their preferred forms of repression and authoritarian control.
Mitch McConnell is a prominent Republican leader in the Senate and a vocal critic of the Myanmar military junta, actively supporting the continued imposition of US sanctions against the regime.
Montse Ferrer, Regional Research Director for Amnesty International, told Reuters that despite international sanctions, the Myanmar military’s aviation fuel imports are rising, leading to increased airstrikes on civilians. In 2025, the junta’s aviation fuel imports reached over 100,000 metric tons (109,604 tons), a 69 percent increase compared to 2024. Since July 2024, multiple aviation fuel shipments into Myanmar have been tracked, including deliveries made by two US-sanctioned Iranian vessels.