Peacetalk

Karen representatives from various parts of Burma and overseas got together in move to prepare for forthcoming national peace talks pointed out that despite Burma having democratically elected government the military continues to hold power under the country’s current constitution. More than 150 Karen representatives traveled to the Karen National Union’s Law Khee Lar, Hpa-an District to discuss major issues…

In an effort to unify both the signatories and non-signatories of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement the leaders of the ethnic armed groups met last week in Chaing Mai, Thailand. The groups met in the hope of finding unity before beginning negotiations with the newly elected National League of Democracy government. The ethnic armed group’s summit was held from 24th to…

YANGON (Myanmar Now) – Ethnic leaders and armed group representatives have welcomed last week’s appointment of Htin Kyaw as president of the National League for Democracy government, with some voicing confidence in his government’s abilities to revive Myanmar’s stalled peace process. “Although Aung San Suu Kyi is not the president, she will be able to work harmoniously with the president.…

In an exclusive interview with Karen News, Padoh Kwe Htoo Win, general secretary of the Karen National Union, explains that the Burma’s new government priorities are to change the Constitution and to begin political dialogue with the country’s ethnic armed groups. Padoh Kwe Htoo Win, points out that political dialogue has been on the KNU’s agenda for more than 60…

In an exclusive Interview with Karen News, General Baw Kyaw Heh, Vice Chief-of-Staff of the Karen National Liberation Army, question the potential of Burma’s new government to wrestle power from the country’s military elite. General Baw Kyaw Heh, the Vice Chief-of-Staff of the Karen National Liberation Army told Karen News that ethnic people had placed their faith in Aung San…

As part of its preparation for the upcoming political talks with the newly elected National League of Democracy government, representatives of the Karen National Union held a meeting with civil society organizations to exchange views. The meeting was held in Hpa-an at the office of the Research Institute for Social Events (RISE), on February 4, 2016. At the meeting, Padoh…

A Karen National Union delegation met with the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies (CPCS) in Cambodia last week to discuss about cooperation in the peace building process in Burma. The four-member-delegation led by Padoh Saw Kwe Htoo Win, the KNU secretary, visited Cambodia from the 2nd to the 4th February, 2016 and met with CPSC officials to talk about…

Of three new union level committees set up after the ceasefire agreement was signed, only three out of 96 members are women. None are from the government. YANGON (Myanmar Now) – Women have been consistently excluded from Myanmar’s peace negotiations and their continued absence could undermine the success of the talks aimed at ending long-running ethnic conflicts that have displaced…

More than forty Karen organizations issued a statement critical of the Karen National Union after it had decided to sign a Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement with the government that excluded the majority of ethnic armed groups. Seven ethnic armed organizations, including the Karen National Union, decided to go ahead and sign the NCA with the government without the full support of…

David Tharckabaw, head of the Karen National Unions Alliance Affairs, in an exclusive interview with Karen News, explains why he is opposed to the current Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement that he believes will deliver little for the majority of ethnic people and only benefit a few people. Mr Tharckabaw said he was not against a nationwide ceasefire that was in the…