Myanmar president, defense chief meet Kachin ethnic armed group on peace efforts

YANGON - Myanmar President U Thein Sein and Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Service Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing met separately with a special delegation of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) in Nay Pyi Taw Monday to discuss peace efforts in the country, an official of the Myanmar Peace Center told Xinhua in a telephone interview.

The government's meeting with the KIO, led by its General Secretary Dr. La Ja, came a day ahead of the planned 7th round of ceasefire talks between the government's Union Peace-Making Work Committee (UPWC) and the ethnic armed groups' Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) in Yangon Tuesday to finalize the draft nationwide ceasefire accord.

U Hla Maung Shwe, who is a peace negotiator, expected that the two days' talks will make an important step forward in the nationwide peace efforts.

Kachin Independence Army (KIA) Deputy Chief Major-General Guan Maw revealed that three points were discussed with the president, which are inclusion of KIO in the union, desire for gaining peace and KIO's efforts in the peace process.

Monday's KIO meeting with the president and the defense chief was a follow-up of Sunday's meeting with Vice-President Dr. Sai Mauk Kham, who is chairman of the UPWC.

The UPWC side called for prompt signing of nationwide ceasefire according to enable holding of political dialogue, while the KIO side revealed its intention to put forward a proposal to both the president and the defense chief.

It has been nearly four years since Kachin conflict recurred in June 2011 after the present government took office in March of the year.

The president extended nationwide peace offer to all armed groups in August 2011.