“I heard that Gen. Gun Maw is going there. I think around three leaders are going there. They are Gen. Gun Maw, Col. Khun Naung, and Col. Sin Wah,” the KIO’s information officer Col Naw Bu said yestreday (July 10).

The KIO is a member of the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee, which is a coalition of seven ethnic armed organizations from northern Myanmar.

The FPNCC comprises the KIO, the United League of Arakan (ULA), the Palaung State Liberation Front (PSLF), the Myanmar National Truth and Justice Party (MNTJP) Kokang, the Shan State Progress Party (SSPP), the Peace and Solidarity Committee (PSC) Mongla, and the United Wa State Party (UWSP).

Although the government has invited all member organizations of the FPNCC including the KIO, it has not invited the FPNCC as a whole.

“We were told that they will discuss as the FPNCC. We haven’t heard anything about the KIO discussing on its own. We haven’t been instructed anything. This is as far as we know,” said Col. Naw Bu.

A special delegation from China and the leaders of seven ethnic armed organizations that have not signed the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) arrived in Naypyidaw yesterday afternoon.

During the second meeting of the FPNCC’s standing committee, which was held for three days from March 26 to 28, the FPNCC decided to attend the third session of the Union Peace Conference, also known as the 21st Century Panglong Conference, if the government officially invites all member organizations.

The FPNCC has officially declared to create a political dialogue with the government by way of a different path from the NCA.