The Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) was formed in 1960 with the goal 'to retain the rights of the Kachin.' Its armed wing, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), grew into one of Burma's most organized opposition groups, controlling strategic border areas. A ceasefire lasted from 1994 until 2011, when the KIA rejected a junta order to become a border guard force, reigniting major conflict. The KIA later formed the Northern Alliance with other ethnic armed groups, continuing the struggle for