UNFC

The decision by the leadership of the Karen National Union to suspend membership from the United Nationalities Federal Council in August has been met with both criticism and praise, with one analyst stating the move was the “right decision to make,” while some Karen community leaders have argued it weakens the ethnic groups’ push for peace and ethnic equality. Speaking…

A Karen women’s group based inside Burma urged the Karen National Union (KNU) to rejoin the ethnic alliance, as its recent action to suspend its membership risks dividing support within the Karen political community and derailing unity in the ethnic nationalities. The Karen Women Union issued a statement last week that raised issues over the decision by the KNU to…

The Karen National Union formally announced their suspension of participation with the ethnic alliance – the United Nationalities for Federal Council. The move has massive ramifications for the ethnic alliance. The KNU claim that its move was made so it can review and consult within their organization on the differences and its disagreement over the alliance’s policies and structure. The…

The Karen National Union has confirmed the suspension of its membership with the ethnic alliance due to disagreement over the policies and structure of the alliance group. The KNU submitted its official letter to the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), an ethnic alliance group that the KNU has been a core member. The letter was handed in on the third…

In a media statement released on April 23, the ethnic alliance the United Nationalities Federal Council (Union Of Burma), condemned the government for the use of systematic military force against ethnic armies. The UNFC said in its statement that the Burma Army has run “a massive military offensives, since early April in the Kachin State and Northern Shan State, against…

General Ner Dah Mya, head of the Karen National Defence Organisation (KNDO) has called for Burma’s government to “show sincerity” and commit to a ‘sincere peace’ process. General Ner Dah has just presented a speech at a KNDO base in southern Karen State, honoring the efforts of the Karen in their 64-year-long struggle with Burma’s military regime. Walking over, he…

The United Nationalities Federal Council held an emergency meeting last Saturday to discuss the government’s nationwide ceasefire offer. Following the meeting UNFC announced that the offer is not acceptable at this point. The UNFC called the executive emergency meeting following discussions with the Burma government to sign a nationwide ceasefire agreement on October 2013. The UNFC’s general secretary, Naing Han…

The United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) in its latest meeting held with its member organizations, ethnic armed groups and political groups have reached a common position to push for a national convention. The UNFC said that its aim is to include everyone in the drafting of a new federal democratic constitution. During a three-day workshop held from July 5th to…

The United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) warned the European Union that it was too early to lift sanctions on Burma. The UNFC hit out at the EU after foreign ministers from 27 European countries met in Luxembourg on April 22 and decided to lift all sanctions on Burma, except its embargo on arms. The UNFC vice-chairman Padoh Saw David Tharckapaw…

Two of Burma’s most significant opposition alliances have united to condemn the government’s escalation of the Kachin conflict and criticize the ceasefire it announced on Saturday. The United Nationalities Federal Council and The National Council of the Union of Burma have released statements condemning President U Thein Sien’s government’s war in Kachin State as a step backward in achieving peace…