Ceasefire

Following an informal meeting between the Karen National Union and Burma government officials, at the Myanmar Peace Center (MPC) in Rangoon on June 15, to talk about a ceasefire “Code of Conduct” both delegations plan to meet again in July. Padoh Saw Aung Win Shwe, head of the KNU’s foreign affairs department and a member of the Karen’s delegation told…

The Democratic Karen Buddhist Army held an ethnic nationalities seminar to exchange views and to assess the current political situation in Burma. The seminar was held at Sone Zee Myaing village, Karen State on June 15. Brigadier General Moshay, the DKBA Deputy Chief-of-Staff told Karen News that although the government has made ceasefire agreements with most of the ethnic armed…

A Karen National Union delegation, led by its chairman, Saw Mutu Say Poe, left yesterday for Rangoon to meet with government officials for a new round of peace talks. Padoh Thaw Thi Bwe, the organisations joint secretary confirmed with Karen News that a KNU delegation, led by Chairman Saw Mutu Say Poe, is schedule to meet government Minister, U Aung…

Padoh Kwe Htoo Win, the Karen National Union’s general secretary, in an exclusive interview with Karen News explains his organization position on the peace process with the Burma government, repatriation of refugees and land ownership. In part one of a three part series Padoh Kwe Htoo Win talks about the peace process. Padoh Kwe Htoo Win said that despite three…

More than 150 representatives and observers from 40 Karen organizations from inside Burma, along the Thai-Burma border and overseas who took part in the 9th Karen Unity Seminar voiced their concern that there has been a significant decrease in humanitarian aid for communities at risk in Karen state. Karen representatives at the Seminar expressed their concerns that the Karen National…

Karen State government officials, representatives from Burma based civil society organizations and border based community based organizations met for two days in Hpa-an on 21-22 May and reached an agreement to work together to help Karen communities that have been affected by six decades of conflict. The meeting agreed to five points to enable building a peaceful and a developed…

A heavy artillery offensive by the Burma Army against a Shan armed group resulted in residents of nine villages being evacuated. Local sources told Karen News that following the Burma Army’s artillery bombardment on May 9 the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army’s (RCSS/SAA) abandoned its camp at Nan Khan Township, Northern Shan State. The RCSS/SAA’s spokesperson Major Sai…

State government officials from Mon and Karen States attended the opening ceremony for the Karen National Union’s sixth liaison office in Naung Bo village, Thaton Township, Mon State on March 5. As many as one thousand people attended the liaison office opening ceremony by the Union Minister, U Zayar Aung, the Chief Minister of Mon State, U Ohn Myint, the…

Middle-ranking Karen army officers claim that the Burma Army has taken advantage of last year’s historic ceasefire, signed between the government and the Karen National Union, to reinforce its position in territory controlled by the ethnic armed group. Captain Saw Gyi No, the KNU Tee Mo Pwa area administration chairman in the Mergui-Tavoy District, in southern Burma, spoke to Karen…

The Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) met with representatives of the Burma government’s peace committee on the China Burma border early this week. The government’s Union Peace Making Committee held preliminary ‘peace talks’ with the KIO in Ruili, Yunnan Province, China on Monday. The Karen National Union’s chairman General Saw Mutu Say Poe and General-Secretary Pado Saw Kwe Htoo Win were…