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News Junta again honours transformed NDA-K to woo KIO
Saturday, 09 January 2010
KNG
The Burmese military junta held a ceremony to honour the Kachin ethnic rebel group for the second time in Kachin State capital Myitkyina on the eve of Kachin State Day for having transformed to the Border Guard Force (BGF), local people told Kachin News Group.
The junta also known as the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) on Saturday again honoured, the former Kachin ethnic rebel group the New Democratic Army Kachin (NDA-K) who officially transformed to BGF in November 8 last year at its headquarters in Pangwah, one day before the 62nd anniversary of Kachin State Day. Local military analysts said it was done to divert attention from the Manau festival being held from January 5 to 11.
Local eyewitnesses told Kachin News Group, that around 8 am today, about 100 soldiers of the BGF marched into the city centre hall where the ceremony was held. They marched three kilometers and all government employees were forced to stand on the roadside and welcome the new BGF, added eyewitnesses.
U Mya Maung, a Sino- Burma border based Burmese analyst said, the show was put on to attract the attention of the Kachin Independent Organization (KIO) for transforming its armed wing the Kachin Independent Army (KIA) to the BGF. The regime wants to show how well it treats those who toe its line.
The government employees were forced to hold posters saying “Welcome to Border Guard Force” and hand over flowers to soldiers.
“It is just to woo the KIO. They (Burmese generals) want to send the message that they are responding well to the military group (NDA-K) who are toeing their line,” said Mya Maung.
However, he said there is no sign of increasing tension between KIO and the Burmese military and KIO does not want to transform its army to BGF.
“They (junta) are using the new Kachin BGF (NDA-K) for getting political mileage now but they will disappear later,” added Mya Maung.
Junta’s Myitkyina-based Northern Regional Command commander Maj-Gen Soe Win conducted the ceremony and the first celebration was held on November 14, 2009 at the same place city hall (myo-daw-khan-ma).
The marching soldiers looked young and some looked like children. They wore new uniforms provided by the regime, a local eyewitness reported KNG.
BGF personnel have been promised a monthly salary ranging from 40,000 kyat (US$42) to 120,000 kyat (US$125) but they are yet to be paid since November 2009. They continue to depend on their old organization NDA-K support of 50 Yuan (Chinese currency equivalent to US$7) and over 10 kg rice bags.
“They (Burmese military rulers) lied to us. They are the kind one shouldn’t trust, with only one of 10 words spoken being true,” said senior BGF members in Pangwah.
The Kachin BGF was formed into three battalions 1001, 1002 and 1003 and at least 300 soldiers will be included in each of the battalion. Soldiers over 50 years deserted even though they were promised pension by the junta but there was no implementation.
Meanwhile more BGF members are deserting the army camp and there are over 100 in each battalion so they plan to reduce to two battalions, said Mya Maung.
The regime announced that soldiers above 50 years from former NDA-K who deserted could get a chance to collect a “certificate of honour” from the junta within January 1 to 20 and will get support and permission to do business such as gold mining, jade mine, logging and other businesses, said a member of the military group.
