Because they have no intention of having a political settlement.
You know, a ceasefire alone is not enough. What the regime is thinking is, okay, we'll stop fighting, we'll let you run in your own territory, and we'll let you do business, and then this will be finished. But ethnic nationalities are asking for a certain degree of autonomy and self-determination. They won't let this risk their own culture. They won't let it risk their own nationality. They won't let it hide their own identity. This is a fight for identity. They are not asking for separation from their country. They would like to stay in their country, but equally. We are a Burma majority, but they are not a minority; they are also as equal as a Burma majority. Even though they are less in number than the Burma majority, 60% of the country's land belongs to these ethnic nationalities.
So first they are talking about equality. Second, they are talking about their having a real identity and that they will not be ruled. They would like to run their territory without having centralized figures from the central government.
During a ceasefire between the Burmese government and Kachin Independence Organization, KIO tried to get a political settlement. Every time there was a request for political dialogues, we were turned down. Later they were allowed to attend the national convention. At the national convention, KIO submitted their proposals for political change in the Kachin area as well as other ethnic areas. But those requests, those recommendations, were denied by the government.
Finally, once they finished the constitution, those requests made by the Kachin Independence Organization and other ethnic groups were denied, rejected, and not included in the 2008 constitution. Finally KIO realized that waiting for...[Inaudible--Editor]...after the ceasefire agreements, there was no chance to have the political settlement.
Finally, they found that the regime has tried to push them away from the area controlled by the troops because of the...[Inaudible--Editor]...development projects and initiatives and the Chinese petroleum companies to make hydro power projects.
They are going to...[Inaudible--Editor]. When the regime troops asked them to move away from the area controlled by them, to pave the way for the Chinese development projects, which will be a benefit for the Chinese petroleum company, they had to...[Inaudible--Editor]...and now they're going to end the war.
They don't want to end the war without the political settlement. The regime is trying to reach out to them, and has offered a way to make a ceasefire agreement, but KIO will not believe the regime anymore. They have been there. This time they will continue to fight but they will talk as they fight, continuously, concurrently. But the war will be ended only when they have reached the political settlement.