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Myanmar government is taking prompt steps to bring the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) back to the negotiation table after the last talks planned in the border town of Ruili on Oct. 30 failed.
As armed conflicts between the government forces and the KIO's army, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) escalated since the beginning of this year, the Lower House of Myanmar's parliament on Jan. 11 urged the government's central peace-making group and the KIA to reduce tension of conflict and embark on a path of building lasting peace.
The House made a three-point statement after a parliamentarian with the Kachin state's Myitkyina constituency U Thein Zaw submitted an important interim proposal to the session.
The statement said the armed conflicts in Kachin state had brought daily misery and loss to local people .
With no way out by holding arms to fight each other, the statement believed that the armed conflict could only be resolved through dialogue.
The statement suggested that the current difficulties in arranging meeting for dialogue can be overcome by discussion on ( electronic) line to show transparency to the people and build mutual confidence.
On Friday (Jan. 18), the House also approved another important proposal urging the government forces and the KIA to immediately halt fighting in the Kachin state and hold peace talks at once for the realization of domestic peace.
The proposal was adopted after another parliamentarian with the Kachin state's Inkyanyan constituency Daw Dwe Bu submitted the proposal to the ongoing session.
Along with parliament's appeal, the government on the same day announced unilateral ceasefire with the KIA , saying that the government troops will stop military offensive against the area of Lajayan starting Saturday (Jan 19 ) at 06:00 a.m. (local times) .
The government forces will strictly follow the directives of the President by not opening fire on the other side except for self-defense, the announcement said, calling on KIA commander to stop their forces from attacking the government's to reduce tension.
The announcement urged the KIA not to block and launch mine attacks on motor and rail roads used by the public in humanitarian consideration of the people suffering from the armed conflicts in terms of food shortage and high commodity prices, citing the area of Putao.
For national reconsolidation and for eternal peace, the government would offer to hold political dialogue with the KIA, the statement added.
On Saturday (Jan. 19 ), the Central Peace-Making Work Committee of the Myanmar government invited the KIO to resume peace talks and the letter of invitation for the talks was sent to KIO Chairman U Zaung Haya.
In response to the government's unilateral ceasefire offer, the KIO Central Committee, in its website, demanded that the military operation by the government in all areas of Kachin state be reduced in addition to Lajayan, expecting that the government could implement the good future prospects.
Over Friday and Saturday when a series of peace calls was made by the government and the parliament, the armed conflicts kept on.
The government claimed that it has negotiated with the KIA for 11 times and the last talks took place in vain on Oct. 30, 2012 with the absence of military leaders from the KIA side to discuss important issues.
The government said that after the failure of the last peace talks, the KIA stepped up attacks on government forces which in return launched air strike against the KIA in the beginning of this year at point-771 hill.
According to official death toll, 35 government forces members were killed with 190 other injured in an ambush by the KIA when the government troops sent food supplies to the area of Lajayan outpost.
Meanwhile, Myanmar's National Human Rights Commission on Friday also called for intensified efforts to find a mutually acceptable solution to the conflict soonest and provide humanitarian assistance to the conflict-struck victims in Kachin state.
