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| Burma ceasefire 'holds' in rebel-held Kachin areas | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A ceasefire announced by the Burmese military fighting rebels in northern Kachin state appears to be holding. | A ceasefire announced by the Burmese military fighting rebels in northern Kachin state appears to be holding. |
| For the first time in almost a month the guns fell silent after the truce came into effect at 06:00 Saturday. | For the first time in almost a month the guns fell silent after the truce came into effect at 06:00 Saturday. |
| But rebels on the frontline remain wary and nervous, the BBC's Jonathan Head reports from Kachin. | But rebels on the frontline remain wary and nervous, the BBC's Jonathan Head reports from Kachin. |
| He says none of them are prepared to believe that the army they have been fighting for the last 18 months is ready for peace. | He says none of them are prepared to believe that the army they have been fighting for the last 18 months is ready for peace. |
| The occasional thud of mortar or reports of a Burmese helicopter gunship sent them scurrying into their bunkers throughout Saturday, he reports from the town of Laiza, headquarters for the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). | The occasional thud of mortar or reports of a Burmese helicopter gunship sent them scurrying into their bunkers throughout Saturday, he reports from the town of Laiza, headquarters for the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). |
| And reports of sporadic fighting in other parts of Kachin state have left the KIA doubtful about the effectiveness of the ceasefire. | And reports of sporadic fighting in other parts of Kachin state have left the KIA doubtful about the effectiveness of the ceasefire. |
| Displaced | Displaced |
| The Burmese government announced the ceasefire on Friday, saying the military would not "carry out offensive attacks except in self-defence". | The Burmese government announced the ceasefire on Friday, saying the military would not "carry out offensive attacks except in self-defence". |
| The announcement came hours after the fledgling parliament passed a motion calling for a ceasefire and peace talks to end the last 18 months of fighting which followed the collapse of a 17-year truce. | The announcement came hours after the fledgling parliament passed a motion calling for a ceasefire and peace talks to end the last 18 months of fighting which followed the collapse of a 17-year truce. |
| Tens of thousands of people have been displaced since the conflict reignited in mid-2011. | Tens of thousands of people have been displaced since the conflict reignited in mid-2011. |
| Violence has escalated in recent weeks after the military began a new offensive on rebel fighters they accused of trying to block supply routes. | Violence has escalated in recent weeks after the military began a new offensive on rebel fighters they accused of trying to block supply routes. |
| The KIA - which is seeking greater autonomy within Burma - is the only major rebel group not to have agreed a ceasefire with the government. | The KIA - which is seeking greater autonomy within Burma - is the only major rebel group not to have agreed a ceasefire with the government. |
| The group told the BBC on Saturday that it wanted the Burmese military to scale back its operations throughout Kachin state and not just around Laiza. | The group told the BBC on Saturday that it wanted the Burmese military to scale back its operations throughout Kachin state and not just around Laiza. |
| Burma's new military-backed civilian government - which has embarked on a series of reforms since elections in November 2010 - has pledged to resolve conflicts in border areas with ethnic minority groups. | Burma's new military-backed civilian government - which has embarked on a series of reforms since elections in November 2010 - has pledged to resolve conflicts in border areas with ethnic minority groups. |
| But the escalation of fighting in Kachin in recent weeks has not only brought international condemnation, but also raised questions about the extent of civilian government control over the armed forces, who ruled Burma for decades. | But the escalation of fighting in Kachin in recent weeks has not only brought international condemnation, but also raised questions about the extent of civilian government control over the armed forces, who ruled Burma for decades. |