Opinion

Since Burma’s military junta officially ceded power to a quasi-civilian government in 2011, the country has received much praise and applause from the international community for reforms it initiated. A series of peace talks with various ethnic armed groups have been held and ceasefire accords with most, if not all, of the major ethnic armed groups have been signed to…

January 2014 marks two years since the Karen National Union signed a temporary ceasefire agreement with Burma’s military, controlled government, and it is time now to reflect on what this agreement has so far achieved in real terms for the Karen people. On the positive side our people can now travel more freely because the fighting has stopped. This means…

In His Own Words 1. On His Opposition To Apartheid “During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.…

A number of international governments, organisations and individuals try to squeeze the current situation of the Karen people into a narrow, restrictive and simplistic narrative that is usually framed like this. ‘After more than sixty years of conflict, at last the Karen have peace. There has been a ceasefire for almost two years, the Karen National Union and government of…

The United States and Australia need to adopt a calibrated approach in extending military assistance to the new leadership in Myanmar. Without such a calculated framework, Washington’s efforts at building partner capacity will be much less effective. Since 2012 the United States, followed by Australia, has extended military assistance and relaxed restrictions on defence cooperation to Myanmar. Then Secretary of…

Despite a ceasefire agreement between the Karen National Union and the Burma government and endless rounds of dead-end peace-talks, the Burma Army continues to consolidate and reinforce its military bases in Karen State. Many observers fear the government is ‘playing’ peace politics with the KNU and other ethnic groups while it continues to militarize the ethnic states readying them for…

While the recent political reforms in Burma show promise for the country’s future, Burma’s long-neglected healthcare system faces a number of challenges before it can deliver effective and affordable care to the people of Burma. Although Burma’s government increased spending on health care in 2013, the rise brought healthcare spending to 3.9 percent of the country’s total budget. While the…

The participation of women in future peace talks between the ethnic groups and the central government will be critical contribution to achieving lasting peace in Burma. Durable peace goes beyond the mere absence of conflict, and whilst the Burmese military and the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) can put a halt to actual fighting, greater participation by civil society (including…

The Myanmar central government has consistently denied its soldiers have systematically used rape as a weapon of war against ethnic minorities. But according to numerous reports, despite recent political reforms, Myanmar’s army has continued to rape, torture and kill civilians of the ethnic minorities. In 2011, pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi said: ”Rape is used in my country as…

Just over a year ago, the Karen National Union entered into negotiations with President Thein Sein’s quasi-civilian government with the ultimate aim of attaining a democratic federal Union of Burma/Myanmar, wherein diverse ethnic nationalities equally enjoy a level of right to self-determination. From the start, there is a realization within the KNU that negotiations would entail compromises on the path…