CNI News
22 October 2024
After China put pressure on the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) to stop the war, China closed down its border gates with Kachin State and whether China could sanction on the KIA in practice or not is being questioned by military analysts.
The news came out of the discussion between the Chinese Special Envoy Mr. Deng Xijun and the leader of the KIA, General Gun Shawng about stopping battles on 17th October.
And then, the KIA attacked and captured Panwa Town near the Chinese border, where China is working on rare earth and other natural resources mining industries.
China closed down the border trade gates - Laiza, the headquarters of the KIA, Myjayan, Lysen, Hkashan and so on shortly after the KIA captured Panwa Town.
The China's pressure was just a political demonstration and it could be difficult to close down the border gates in practice, chairman of the PNLO-NCA/S, Col. Khun Okkar told CNI News.
" The China's pressure is just its political demonstration. But it's very difficult practically to close down the border gates. The Kachin people in Yunnan Province are like relatives and family members of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO). I don't think it'e easy for China to close down in detail." he said.
While seeing Panwa Town in Kachin State
The reason why the KIA captured Panwa where there were trade, militia and border guard force might be it wanted to re-gather the parts of Kachin State when the Myanmar Tatmadaw was weak, pointed out political commentators.
China was probably telling strategically and because there were Kachin people on both China's side and Myanmar's side, as China would have to take its ethnic policy into account, it wouldn't be to able put pressure anymore, Dr. Hla Kyaw Zaw, a China-Myanmar affair commentator, told CNI News.
" China will be telling strategically while we'll have to do what we have to. China probably won't put pressure any more. Although it has imposed sanction, we can find other ways. It's no problem. Kachin people are on the Chinese side as well. Kachin people didn't accept even though China had closed down the border gates. They were accepting their relatives or ethnic people. Because China has to take its ethnic policy into account, it doesn't dare to carry out strictly. War refugees from Kachin State entered China, crossing the border. To the best of my knowledge, Kachin people from the Chinese side donate clothes, and stationeries and books for the children in the Kachin State every year. No matter what China tells, the KIA will carry on what it has to." she said.
While seeing the Laiza-Naban China-Myanmar border gate
The KIA re-captured its territories as it wanted to establish Kachin State of its own, she added.
" The KIA has always wanted to build Kachin State of its own. Panwa is included in Kachin State, where it was owned by the KIA in the past as well. Zakhun Taint Ying was member of the KIA at first and then he joined the Burma Communist Party. After he seceded from the BCP, he became a militia leader of Bo Khin Nyunt. The story was very complicated. The KIA retook its place (Panwa). Around the place are Kachin villages only, where I had lived." she added.
Along the Kachin border with China controlled by the KIA are about 4,000 war refugees and people by the dozens of thousand, and foodstuffs and consumer goods are imported from the Chinese side.
The five border gates with China namely Kyin Hsan Kyawt, Chin Shwe Haw, Yanlon Kyine, Mongko and Namkham have been closed down by the Chinese side.
