Ceasefire

The Karen National Union has decided to sign the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement, despite the other members of the ethnic armed group’s alliance, having not yet made their positions known. The KNU decision was reached at its Central Committee Emergency meeting held on August 14 and 15 at Lay Wah, Pa-an District, Karen State. Padoh Saw Kwe Htoo Win, general secretary…

A delegation from the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), Karen National Union (KNU) and other Karen armed groups informally met with President U Thein Sein and government representatives in Naypyidaw on Monday, August 3. Padoh Saw Kwe Htoo Win, KNU secretary, said the two hours meeting would support the next meeting between the Ethnic Armed Oorganizations, Senior Delegation and…

The senior delegation negotiating the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement on behalf of Burma’s ethnic armed organisations said in a statement that its talks with the government’s team got off to a good start. The statement released on Wednesday 22 July, said that the two negotiating teams, the Ethnic Armed Organizations’ Senior Delegation (SD) and the Union Peace-making Work Committee (UPWC) said…

Since coming to power in 2011, President Thein Sein, a former general, has initiated a plan to resolve Burma’s decades-long ethnic conflict as part of broader domestic reform programs. Burma observers, both inside and outside, agree that resolving ethnic conflict is central to the success of political reform and lasting peace in the country. Among other things, President Thein Sein…

The government and ethnic groups’ representatives reached an agreement in principle to work towards getting the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement signed and starting the process of drafting a political dialogue framework with President U Thein Sein’s administration. The Union Peacemaking Working Committee led by Minister U Aung Min and the Ethnic Senior Delegation led by Padoh Naw Zipporah Sein met on…

Following a statement issued by the Karen Women Organization calling for Burma government and international community to respect the right of refugees on World Refugees’ Day, representatives of the United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees met with Karen community based organization on June 23, to discuss repatriation issues. The meeting’s included presentation of the UNHCR’s roadmap on refugee repatriation and…

A Karen woman’s groups is running training for community-based-organisation to help them understand and identify the different and often conflicting elements in Burma’s ceasefire process. Naw Suzanna Hla Hla Soe, a director of the Karen Women Empowerment Group (KWEG) told Karen News that topics covered in the training were understanding armed conflict, violence resulting from the conflicts and identifying different…

A senior member of the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team explained to Karen News that the United Wa State Army (UWSA) and Restoration Council of Shan Sate/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) will not attend a conference to discuss the nationwide ceasefire draft documents. Padoh Kwe Htoo Win, a senior member of the NCCT told Karen News that the “conference is about informing…

The Karen National Union’s vice chairperson, Padoh Naw Zipporah Sein will lead its delegation to attend the ethnic leaders’ summit to be held today 1st May, in Pangshang. Padoh Naw Zipporah Sein was selected at the KNU by its central standing committee at an emergency meeting on 25th April to discuss the draft Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement at the ethnic summit.…

The Karen National Liberation Army 2nd Brigade based in the Taungoo District confirmed to Karen News that a small firefight between its solders and the government troops happened on April 20. Lieutenant Saw Prah, company commander of the KNLA 2nd Brigade’s security force told Karen News that the fighting was between his soldiers and the Burma Army’s Infantry Battalion 589…