Educated Youth Needed for Kawthoolei Administration, KNU Says
The Karen National Union (KNU) has called for greater participation from educated Karen youth to strengthen its administrative machinery in Kawthoolei, the self-administered territory in southeastern Myanmar.
Speaking to the Karen Information Center (KIC), KNU spokesperson P’doh Saw Kler Say highlighted human resource shortages after the KNU Central Executive Committee held its third plenary meeting of township administrative leaders from October 16 to 20.
“Our primary challenge is a shortage of personnel,” P’doh Saw Kler Say said. “We urgently need educated Karen youth to participate. Their skills and contributions are essential to advancing our administrative goals smoothly.”
The five-day conference focused on refining governance mechanisms across 7 districts and 28 townships under KNU control. Delegates reviewed local administrative reports, assessed progress under the Mae Wah Klo Declaration—the KNU’s operational framework for public management—and discussed urban planning guidelines tailored to local needs.
Participants also evaluated the operations of the Kawthoolei Consultative Council (KCC) and the Kawthoolei Governance Council (KGC), key bodies designed under a “bottom-up federalism” approach.
The KNU’s interim political charter mentioned the strategy, which prioritizes establishing fully functioning regional federal units before constructing a future national union.
The meeting concluded with 11 consensus points on future operations and five position statements aimed at reinforcing village-level administration.
Supporting the KNU’s appeal, the Karen Youth Organisation (KYO) urged young professionals to apply their technical and academic expertise to the revolutionary movement across key sectors, including health, education, local economy, and public governance.
“We need educated Karen individuals and professionals to dedicate their knowledge and energy to the revolutionary cause and the construction of Kawthoolei,” said Saw Eh Htee Kaw, Joint Secretary 2 of the KYO.
He also warned youth against falling prey to the military junta, alleging that the regime continues to use forced conscription and forced labor to maintain its grip on power.
KNU leadership reaffirmed its commitment to modernizing its administrative structure, promising an inclusive, accountable, and stable governing framework across its territories.
