Back in February 2011 I put together a New Mandala post titled “Long shadow of war in Kachin State”.

According to the Kachin News Group things in northern Burma are now tilting even further in the direction of renewed conflict. As ever, it is very hard to tell exactly what the reported pronouncements from Naypyidaw may mean.

While we wait for further details it is almost the time to ask: is this the end of the Kachin ceasefire period, once-and-for-all?