Ceasefire

In an exclusive series of interviews with Karen News, Padoh Naw Zipporah Sein, vice chairperson of the Karen National Union talks about a diverse range of critical issues facing ethnic people. In part 1, Ms Sein gives her perspective on the progress of the draft nationwide ceasefire agreement between the Burmese government and the country’s ethnic armed groups. Ms Sein…

The Karen National Union is holding a central standing committee emergency meeting to discuss the draft nationwide ceasefire agreement and the ethnic armed organization summit at its headquarters at Lay Wah, Hlaingbwe Townhip in Pa-an District from April 20-22, 2015. Padoh Naw Zipporah Sein, vice chairperson of the KNU spoke to Karen News about the meeting. “There will be presentations…

The United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) released a statement on 7 April, 2015, to make clear its position on the nationwide ceasefire agreement reached with the Burmese government on March 31. The UNFC statement pointed out that the document, its Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) signed on March 31, 2015, “was not the signing of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA),…

An alliance of ethnic armed groups have said that they have reached an agreement with the government about a nationwide ceasefire but now need to take the draft wording to a summit for their leaders to ratify and sign the document. Naing Hong Sar, head of the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) representing the ethnic armed organizations, told reporters at…

The United Nationalities Federal Council issued a statement on Saturday, March 28 stating that it was disappointed that once again political discussions with the Burma government have been sidetracked. The UNFC said that in all its negotiation processes with the government it witnesses over and over “the occurrence of some other unexpected problem to choke up dialogue or change the…

The Karen River Watch, a coalition of Karen environmental community based groups raise concerns over the proposed hydropower dam projects on the Salween River and repeated their call for a halt to all development projects. Together with local villagers, KRW held a protest near Hat Gyi Dam, one of the proposed dam sites in Hlaingbwe Township, Karen State on March…

Padoh Saw Thamein Tun, a member of the Karen National Union (KNU)’s Central Executive Committee said that the KNU would never go alone and sign a national wide ceasefire in Burma. The KNU said that it is only willing to sign the ceasefire together with the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) and the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT). Padoh Saw…

A report released by the Karenni Civil Society Network (KCSN) has claimed that the Norwegian led Myanmar Peace Support Initiative (MPSI) is putting the security of returning internally displaced persons (IDPs) at risk by placing them in areas under Burma Army control. The MPSI is a Norwegian led “international initiative to support peace in Burma through development and humanitarian assistance.…

An international aid agency has warned that ongoing instability in Burma is blocking prospects for a sustainable peace and the repatriation of communities displaced by conflict. The Border Consortium (TBC), which delivers aid to Burmese refugees in Thailand and internally displaced people in Burma, said that peace efforts were “stumbling,” leaving conflict-affected communities in the dark. There has been a…

When ethnic fighters clashed with the Myanmar military in Myawaddy Township last month, most ethnic Karen farmers stayed put, despite fears the army would respond with violence. “They have run away so many times, they are tired of running,” said Reverend Day Bert, the 70-year-old pastor at Myawaddy’s Baptist Church. With Thailand just across the narrow Moei River, Karen people…