Ceasefire

An attempt to reunify a recent division in the Karen National Union has made marked progress this week when both sides agreed to talk. Karen people and community-based-organizations around the world were shocked to read in the media that three KNU leaders had breached the political organizations ‘peace-talks’ protocols and were negotiating independently with the Burma government. Tension among the…

The Karen National Union Executive Committee has dismissed the head of its army, and two other KNU leaders for breaching its ‘peace-talk’ protocols. The three dissenting leaders are General Mutu Say Poe, the Karen National Liberation Army’s General-Officer-in-Command, Padoh Saw David Taw, Chief of the Justice Department and Padoh Saw Roger Khin, Chief of Health and Welfare Department. The three-sacked…

Today the Karen National Union issued an extraordinary statement detailing what appears to be a major split in their organization. The news of a split comes at a bad time for the Karen as their political organization is holding a series of high-level peace-talks with the Burmese government. The KNU statement said, “Lt. General Mutu Say Po, together with a…

A peak ethnic group has urged its member organizations, currently holding ‘peace-talks’ with the government, to stop all communications if the Burma Army continues its offensive against the Kachin. The Ethnic Nationalities Council (Union of Burma), an umbrella ethnic group, yesterday, issued a statement following their Third Annual Meeting (from September 11 to 12), held at a undisclosed area on…

The Karen National Union announced in a media statement that its third round of ‘peace-talks’ with the Burmese Government was a success and the two sides will meet again later this year. The KNU official statement was released on September 4 after the latest ‘peace-talks’ held in Hpa-An Town, two days ago. Naw May Oo Mutraw, a spokesperson with the…

A military ceasefire Code of Conduct was the first and the main issue discussed during the third round of peace-talks held between the Karen National Union and the Burma government at the Zwekabin Hotel in Hpa-an Town, Karen State yesterday. Both the KNU and government presented their draft Code of Conduct to each other for an in-depth discussion of the…

The Karen National Union (KNU) and the Burma Government announced today that they have agreed on the dates and location for the third round of their ‘peace-talk’ negotiation. The two parties finally agreed to meet in Hpan-an, Karen State on September 3rd and 4th after the Burma Government had earlier postponed the ‘peace-talks’ that were originally scheduled for August 27th…

The Karen National Union (KNU) is on schedule to open its fourth liaison office in the Burma’s border town Myawaddy on August 18. P’doh Saw Aung Maw Aye, chairman of the KNU’s Pa-an District has confirmed that on 18 August, the Pa-an District or Brigade-7 and Doo Pla Ya District will open a joint liaison office in Myawaddy town, eastern…

The Karen National Union will open a fourth liaison office on the 18th of August in the Burma border town of Myawaddy in Karen State to help with the cooperation between the Burma government and the KNU, especially in the Karen National Liberation Army’s 6th and 7th Brigade areas. An officer from the Karen National Liberation Army 7th Brigade spoke…

A dark foreboding sky filled with rain clouds, below the mountains are covered in low mist, monsoon rains form puddles on the ground as around a 100 soldiers in dressed in Karen military uniforms march. The soldiers, carrying M-16 rifles, slowly churn their way through grass and mud to parade ground cut out of the jungle in Karen State, Burma.…