Statement of the Central Standing Committee’s 5th Emergency Meeting After the 16th Karen National Union Congress

Karen National Union Headquarters (KNU) | October 6, 2018

The Central Standing Committee’s 5th Emergency Meeting after the 16th Karen National Union Congress was successfully held on October 5-6, 2018. 40 of the 55 members of the Central Standing Committee and 3 specially invited leaders attended.

KNU has initiated the ceasefire process and committed to the peace process since 2012. Therefore, KNU has signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), which is a part of the Peace Process towards sustainable peace, with the government and Tatmadaw on 15, October 2015.

Even though KNU has been relentlessly participating in the Peace Process, the current peace and political dialogues are in an impasse facing deadlocks. To overcome these deadlocks, the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement Signatory Ethnic Armed Organizations (NCA-S EAO) have planned to hold a top leaders informal meeting with the Government and the Tatmadaw on 15 October, 2018 and we welcome this approach. Regarding the upcoming meeting to overcome deadlocks, we would Like to issue the follow statements;

1. Regarding the proposal to hold a top leaders informal meeting on 15 October with the Government, Tatmadaw and NCA-S EAOs, the 5th Emergency Meeting of the KNU Central Standing Committee has decided to negotiate to reschedule the date as more preparations are needed to ensure good results from the meeting.

2. The deadlocks to the current Peace Process are not only the two issues namely the demand to accept a single army (Tatmadaw) and the Package Deal to prevent secession from the Union. It is also essential to identify “common principles” through negotiation to effectively implement the NCA, make progress with the political dialogue, reconcile different interpretations of the NCA and identify weaknesses of the currently agreed mechanisms.

3. The realization of democratic federal principles, which is the goal of the three times of the Union Peace Conference-21st Century Pang long is depends on above deadlocks and issues through negotiation.

4. As the future Democratic Federal Union agreed upon in the NCA must be built in line with the results of the political dialogue, a common “principle” to negotiate the “common visions and shared values” for the future Federal Democratic Union needs to be identified.

5. Moreover, as there are armed organizations that have not yet signed the NCA, enabling spaces for them to be able to participate in the Peace Process need to be created. Only then will we be able to build an inclusive future Democratic Federal Union.

Contact:
1. Pa’do Saw Tah Doh Moo (+ 66 646 459 113, + 95 9795887085) (Email: klom000@yahoo.com)
2. Pa’do Saw Hla Tun (+ 66 940351880, + 95 9252732862) (Email: s4d1969@gmail.com)