Karen Armed Groups United in Their Political Struggle

Taw Win Pan / Karen News, July 30, 2013

In a recent meeting Karen armed forces agreed to unite and to join forces to work together to achieve self-determination.

The Karen National Union (KNU), the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) and the KNU/KNLA Peace Council agreed at a meeting held in the Burma border town of Myawaddy, to work together on Karen national affairs under one political objective.

Following the meeting that was organized by the Unity Committee for Karen Armed Groups and held in Myawaddy, Karen State, on July 23, the armed groups agreed to work towards a unifying political principle.

Padoh Saw Tar Doh Mu, a member of the KNU central committee said.

“We discussed how all our Karen armed groups could work together in the current peace process. We reached a common position – that is we will continue our struggle together united under the same political principle of Karen self-determination.”

Attended the meeting were the KNU’s Chief-of-Staff, General Johnny, the DKBA’s Brigadier General, Saw Kyaw Thet and Brigadier General Saw Yin Nu’s from the KNU/KNLA Peace Council.

Padoh Saw Tar Doh Mu said that a detail implementation plan would be discussed at the next meeting of the Unity Committee for Karen Armed Groups.

The Unity Committee for Karen Armed Groups was formed on May 28 and its members are the KNU, the DKBA, the KNU/KNLA Peace Council, the Haung Tharaw special area of peace group, Payargone (a) Padoh Aung San group and the Border Guard Force (BGF).