Karen women’s group endorses KNU talks with government

The Karen Women Action Group, a community-based women’s group working out of Rangoon gave its approval for the issues the Karen National Union raised in its meeting with the government and its key ministers, including the president and the head of the country’s army.

Naw Susana Hla Hla Soe, director of KWAG spoke to Karen News.

“We are pleased to see the new KNU leaderships was invited by the President to meet with him. We welcome it. The KNU raised the Kachin conflict in their discussions and I see that the KNU advocated on behalf of other ethnic nationalities.”

Naw Susana said that when meeting with President U Thein Sein , the government laid out its roadmap to the KNU and insisted that political discussion has to go through the Hluttaw – the Parliament. The KNU argued that to be effective discussions should be debated both inside and outside parliament [Hluttaw].

After meeting with President Thein Sein and Vice-Senior General Min Aung Hlaing on January 5th and 6th at Naypyidaw, the KNU delegation team met with Taungalay Abbot – U Pyinyarthami, Min Ko Naing and Ko Ko Gyi from the 88 Student Generation, community groups based in Burma and members of the country’s media at the Myanmar Peace Center in Rangoon.

Padoh Saw Hla Tun, a member of the KNU delegation told Karen News about its meeting with the community groups.

“They [community groups] want to know what the new KNU leader meeting with the President and the Chief of the Defense Ministry in Naypyidaw was all about. The KNU leader took the opportunity to meet, talk and explain the situation to the people.”

Following President U Thein Sein’s invitation to the KNU, a delegation team led by KNU chairman, General Mutu Say Poe left their border headquarters on January 3rd to travel to the country’s capital, Naypyidaw.

The KNU delegation met with the President on 5th January. The meeting included a number of government ministers – the Minister of Commence, Minister of Mining and Minister of Railways. The delegation also met with Defense Minister and Burma army’s Chief Vice-Senior General Min Aung Hliang on January 6 before returning to their headquarters on the Thai Burma border.