Ceasefire

More than one hundred leaders from Burma’s ethnic armed resistance organizations gathered at Law Khee Lar, Karen State from January 20 to 24, 2014 to work out a plan for a proposed nationwide ceasefire agreement with the Burma government. The ethnic leaders met and discussed the future of Burma, including how to set up a federal army in the country.…

Government troops fired artillery shells into Karen village areas in Northern Papun Township, KNU sources told Karen News. No villagers were injured in the shelling. On January 7, Burma Army Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) #401 fired at least three artillery shells into civilian areas in Northern Papun Township, KNU sources from Papun District told Karen News. Karen News is led…

A Karen National Union delegation of 10 and led by General Mutu Say Poe met yesterday with Burma’s President Thein Sein and Defense Minister Min Aung Hlaing. The KNU’s Joint Secretary, P’Doh Mahn Mahn confirmed with Karen News that, “the objective of the trip is to meet with the President and the Defense Minister in Nay Pyi Daw. The meeting…

Plans by sixteen of Burma’s ethnic armed organisations to draft a nationwide ceasefire agreement in December this year has been put back until the New Year. Padoh Mahn Mahn, joint secretary of the Karen National Union, spoke to Karen News. “We are holding a second round of discussions or conference on the draft nationwide ceasefire agreement that has been developed…

Despite a ceasefire in place villagers in southern Burma allege that government troops are abusing their authority by threatening them at gunpoint. A villager from Myitta east of Dawei Town claims that a Burma Army officer based in Kwe Waw Wa (Ain Wine), on the Dawei-Htee Kee Road, abused him without reason at gunpoint. U Zaw Min Oo repeated the…

In part two of her exclusive interview with Karen News, *Zoya Phan, the Campaigns Manager at Burma Campaign UK, outlines what she thinks the international community needs to do to have the Burma government engage in genuine political dialogue. Zoya Phan said that despite some changes in Burma the country “still has a long way to go and lots of…

In an exclusive two-part interview with Karen News, *Zoya Phan, the Campaigns Manager at Burma Campaign UK and recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, outlines what Burma’s government needs to do if it is to have genuine political dialogue with the country’s people. Zoya Phan, the Campaigns Manager at Burma Campaign UK explained to Karen…

A report launched this week by the Burma News International highlighted the impact of business on the country’s fragile peace process. The report – Economics of Peace and Conflict – details how economic engagement trends connected to the peace process “have already caused serious negative impacts on local communities and may threat the durability of peace agreements.” Burma News International…

The arrest of two Karen soldiers by the government’s military has added to tension created by a series of recent bomb explosions in Burma. The two arrested Karen National Liberation Army soldiers have just been released after being detained by the Burma Army for nine days said that there is a need for clear guidelines on how both sides operate…

The Karen National Union’s vice-chairperson, Padoh Naw Zipporah Sein, concludes a three part exclusive interview with Karen News. Naw Zipporah Sein stressed that a nationwide ceasefire is not possible while there is still ongoing conflict and displacement in ethnic states. “How can we sign a nationwide ceasefire agreement while fighting is still going on in the Kachin and northern Shan…