Laiza (Burmese: လိုင်ဇာ, romanizedLaingza, Chinese: 拉咱; pinyin: Lāzá) is a remote mountainous town in the Kachin State, Myanmar. It lies on the China-Myanmar border, with Nabang, Yingjiang County[1] located across the border. Laiza is the headquarters of the Kachin Independence Organisation since 2005.

Laiza
လိုင်ဇာ
Laiza is located in Myanmar
Laiza
Laiza
Location in Myanmar (Burma)
Coordinates: 24°45′36″N 97°33′48″E / 24.76000°N 97.56333°E / 24.76000; 97.56333
Country Myanmar
DivisionKachin State
DistrictMyitkyina District
TownshipWaingmaw Township
Control Kachin Independence Army
Time zoneUTC+6.30 (MMT)

History

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Laiza was just a village prior to 1994. It became an important town in Kachin State after the Kachin Independence Organization signed a ceasefire agreement with the State Peace and Development Council and moved its headquarters there from Pajau. Leaders representing different ethnic groups in Myanmar attended the Laiza Conference in October 2013, searching for common ground amongst ethnic groups and the Burmese government in preparation for further peace talks and the eventual creation of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement[2] in 2015.[3][4]

The Kachin Independence Army currently controls Laiza.[5]

References

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  1. ^ Stiem, Tyler (8 December 2017). "Laiza in the spotlight: Myanmar's rebel capital digs in – and switches on". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  2. ^ "The Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement between the Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and the Ethnic Armed Organizations | UN Peacemaker". peacemaker.un.org. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
  3. ^ "Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement in Myanmar/Burma, signed in EU presence | EEAS". www.eeas.europa.eu. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
  4. ^ "Myanmar signs ceasefire with eight armed groups". Reuters. 2015-10-15. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
  5. ^ "Myanmar junta seeks to wipe out headquarters of Kachin rebel group". Radio Free Asia. 2023-10-02. Retrieved 2024-04-19.