"My government will continue to do everything necessary to turn ceasefire agreements into lasting peace," he said. "It is very important to create job opportunities in order to improve socio-economic conditions of internally displaced people and ceasefire groups," he added.

How have civilians been affected by fighting?

Since June 2011, tens of thousands of Kachins have been terrorized by renewed fighting, according to HRW.

More than 90,000 people have been forced from their homes, according to the latest estimates. However, the exact number of internally displaced people -- or IDPS as they're known -- is hard to confirm because the government has limited access to the region.

The lack of access has worried aid agencies who say tens of thousands of people are being denied vital care.

"The government feels it's unsafe so they're not granting access," said Maria Guevara, Medecins San Frontiere's Humanitarian Representative for ASEAN. "We've tried to support some of the areas with drug supplies but the roads that we've used in the past are generally inaccessible, because that's where the fighting usually takes place, so it's been difficult to resupply."

She called on the government to allow humanitarian agencies "independent and neutral access" to affected areas, while Smith warned of "a looming humanitarian emergency."

What are the chances of a long-term ceasefire?

There are no easy solutions to resolve the unrest in Kachin. It dates back to the early 1960s when the KIO and KIA were established to protect the interests of the Kachin people against the influence of the central government.

The KIO still has administrative control over most of Kachin State, providing schooling, teacher training colleges, a police service, a TV station, newspapers, libraries and hospitals, according to the Free Kachin Campaign website.

HRW says the latest offensive has deepened divisions between the Kachins and the government, which threatens to spill over into other ethnic groups.

"You have an entire population of ethnic Kachin who for the most part right now are very bitter towards the Burmese government and that's going to be a serious problem, not only for Kachin state but the other ethnic nationalities throughout the country right now who are negotiating peace agreements.

"They're taking all this into consideration so this could pose a serious problem for long-term peace in the country," he said.