Karen National Union Statement ‘Letter of Felicitation Sent on World Peace Day’

Statement by Karen National Union (KNU) | September 21, 2016.

Today, September 21, was designated by the United Nations as World Peace Day in 1981, and the Day has been started to be honored and celebrated at the UN head office since 1982. The aim is for every country and every person to assemble on the World Peace Day and hold discussions for World Peace. In the world today, in addition to the dangers of war, there are killing and terrorist acts in a number of places. Since the time the World Peace Day was started to be recognized, the arrangements and programs to honor peace have been laid down and carried out. On that day, on the part of the UN’s member countries, having war, usually hold activities to observe whether there are warring activities, or if ceasefire has been undertaken.

In Myanmar country, where we are living, due to the ideology of racial domination and the system of military dictatorship, we have to face oppressive rule and, as we have to bear barbarities and have lost freedom, the rights to equality and self-determination, as a nationality or as an individual citizen, we have to be struggling, within the country we live, to regain the rights of a nationality. As the successive governments, which have been ruling domineeringly and oppressively, do not want to resolve the political problems of the ethnic nationalities, have created and maintained the civil war for more than 60 years.

Our Karen National Union (KNU) on its part, has consistently laid down the position of resolving the political problems at the political table through negotiation. For the resolution of political problems by political means, our Karen nationals and the KNU on their part, have constantly looked for means and ways, in addition to issuing statements. However, the military dictatorships in power on their part, had not accepted the resolution of political problems. Moreover, they had always demanded for surrender of arms before holding dialogue. However, after the election of 2010, the government issued proclamation for the establishment of peace in the country. Though it was the same position, as there was no precondition for dialogue and negotiation, with the intention of holding political dialogue, the government was able to secure ceasefire with each individual ethnic armed organization, and on October 15, 2015, the government signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) with 8 ethnic armed organizations. Starting from 2012 up to this day, we can say effectively that there has been no battle and head-on combat clashes in the Karen State and in the areas administered by our KNU. Though there is no shooting in the KNU administered area, from time to time, there have been conflicts regarding the government troops’ activities. The KNU on its part would like to have political equality. However, due to Myanmar troops’ military activities, battles have taken place. The peace yearned for by the KNU and the Karen people calls for political equality. Though there are signs of possible occurrence of military activities and conflicts, there are no longer battles and head-on combat clashes. Such a situation has occurred due to the real desire for peace by our KNU and the Karen people. The aim of the World Peace Day is for the development of ceasefire and peace in countries having military conflict and for the people to be free from fear and anxieties.

The peace yearned for by our Karen people and every nationality is genuine peace that can give guarantee for life security. The truly necessary peace is not the one, which is called peace just because of the cessation of gunfire and battles. The peace desired by our Karen people and the ethnic nationalities is the one, which must have guarantee for all to establish together the Nation State, after the resolution of the political problems.

The world’s leading countries, business corporations and institutions (when ceasefire is established in some ethnic armed organizations’ areas) declare that there is peace in Myanmar and for their own interest, start to make investment for business, and some find ways to be able to do development. Though some organizations have signed for ceasefire and nationwide ceasefire, nationwide ceasefire still cannot be established in reality. The peace desired by us cannot still be established.

For the world’s leading countries and the financiers, the meaning of peace and aims are not the same. However, for our Karen people and the ethnic nationalities, the meaning of peace we hoped for is the same. The peace the ethnic nationalities are striving for must be genuine peace and there must be guarantee for life security and development for posterity. For that reason, it is necessary to work step by step, analytically and hand in hand together with our fellow oppressed ethnic nationalities. Acquiring ceasefire and peace for our own region and Karen state only, is not the peace with guarantee we are really desiring. It must be for all the ethnic nationalities and the entire people to enjoy and peace for the entire country. Though there are no battles in our Karen State, battles are continuing to take place in the Kachin and Shan States, and the people are in utmost misery, having to abandon their hearths and homes and flee for their lives into hiding. Currently, as there is firefight between the Border Guard Force and government forces on the one side and the DKBA force on the other, the people have become frightened and have to move away.

So long as such miserable conditions exist in Myanmar country, we still cannot achieve the peace we are really desiring. The Karen youths also have the responsibility certainly in the establishment of genuine peace. Establishment of our Karen people’s future destiny is in the hands of the current youths and may our Karen youths join hands and work together for peace in the whole country with utmost endeavor, correct sacrifice, open eyes and attentive ears.

Let us strive with utmost effort and unity for genuine and just peace!