KNU

Burma’s ruling party is sending its members to Karen non-ceasefire areas in the southern part of the country bearing peace offers. The most recent case involved a member of parliament from the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party, Saw Ha Bee, an ethnic Karen, who held a meeting with local officials, religious leaders and community leaders in Pa Wat Hta…

The Karen National Union has taken a tougher stance and banned all Italian-Thai Development Company vehicles from using the Tavoy-Kanchanaburi road that links southern Burma to Kanchanaburi in Thailand. A KNU official (who requested that their name not be used) told Karen News that the KNU informed the Italian-Thai Development (ITD) Company representatives that they travel and use of the…

In a media statement released yesterday, the Karen National Union say they have reason to believe the Burma government and its armed militia, the Border Guard Force, plotted to smear the KNU as drug runners. The KNU were responding to media reports in Thai newspapers and on television that two men arrested by border patrol police and a village headman…

The Karen National Union said it had grave doubts that the Burma government’s recent declaration to European officials that it was wanted peace with ethnic groups was a blatant attempt to please the international community. Kristalina Georgieva, the European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, recently returned from Burma after a two-day humanitarian visit told reporters in…

The United States Special Envoy and Policy Coordinator for Burma, Derek Mitchell sees the current Burma political situation as a work-in-progress, according to the National League for Democracy. NLD spokesman U Ohn Kyaing said that Mr. Mitchell made that statement after meeting with members of NLD central executive committee and the Committee Representing People’s Parliament at Aung San Suu Kyi’s…

A Democratic Karen Buddhist Army commander told Karen News that the breakaway DKBA factions that refused to give up their Karen identity and come under the direct control of the Burma Army by becoming members of the Border Guard Force have begun restructuring their political and military aims. The decision was taken at a meeting in August that involved all…

The Burma government’s recently implemented Border Guard Force in Karen State continues to see its soldiers’ desert to join up with opposition forces. This week another 30 soldiers aligned themselves to the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army battalion in the Myaing Gyi Ngu area and led by Major Saw Beeh. Brigadier General Saw Jonny, the commander of the Karen National Union…

There may be a new government in Burma, but it is army is still using force recruiting children into its army according to a child soldier who recently deserted to the Karen National Union. Private Maung Ye Htet 17, no.T-438567 from Infantry Battalion 372 based at Maw Kee village in Myawaddy Township said he deserted to Karen National Liberation Army…

The Kayin State Democracy and Development Party (KSDDP) based in Hpa-an in Karen State, announced in the state-controlled media that it did not recognize the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army and claimed that the group undermines peace and stability of the State under the name of DKBA. The KSDDP’s statement ran in the state run newspaper, The New Light of Myanmar,…

The United Nationalities Federal Council said the recent letter from Burma’s President, Thein Sein’s announcing a countrywide ceasefire was unacceptable. The letter urged the ethnic armed groups to get in touch with their regional/state level governments. The UNFC’s responded by a letter addressed to President Thein Sein that stated that the government’s peace talks approach like this would not bring…