YANGON, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar government and Kachin ethnic armed group -- Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) will continue peace talks at the central level highlighting political dialogue on a later date, said a joint statement on Thursday.
The statement was issued at the end of a two-day talks at central level on Wednesday and Thursday in southwest China's border town of Ruili in Yunnan Province linking Myanmar, state radio and television reported Thursday.
Myanmar government's peace making group was led by U Aung Thaung, while KIO's was headed by Sai Ru Khan.
The two sides will endeavor for easing tension on armed clashes and for confidence building, the statement said.
The contents of the talks will be made public for knowledge, the statement added.
The talks over the last two days was a follow-up of the preliminary one initiated at state level at the same venue on Nov. 29, 2011.
The armed clashes since August 2011 have forced displacement of about 60,000 local people.
Meanwhile, President U Thein Sein ordered the government forces on Dec. 10 to stop offensive against the Kachin ethnic armed group and observed a unilateral ceasefire except for self-defense.
The KIO once returned to the government's legal fold in 1994 under ceasefire agreement and was regarded as a peace group. However, it, along with four other similar peace groups, rejected to disarm and transform into the government's border guard force as urged, and armed clashes between the government forces and the KIO broke out in the Kachin state in early June near a power project site of Tarpein.
The fighting intensified in August and intermittent battles have been taking place since then.
