Ceasefires Are Not Peace: KNU Lays Out Crucial Steps to Achieve Lasting Peace in Burma

In a press conference today, the Karen National Union laid out a four-step roadmap of essential stages that will be required to achieve genuine and sustainable peace in Burma [...]

Open Letter to Secretary General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations

We write to you today on behalf of the undersigned ASEAN civil society organizations to share our lingering concerns about on‐going human rights violations in Burma/Myanmar ahead of your mission to the country on 20 February 2012. We would like [...]

Women’s League of Burma Urges All Parties to Work Together Towards Genuine and Long-Lasting Peace in Burma

Women’s League of Burma (WLB) calls for U Thein Sein Government to implement a nation-wide ceasefire, which was announced officially in August 2011, and urges all parties to work together towards genuine and long-lasting peace in Burma [...]

Statement of KNU CC 2nd Emergency Meeting

The Karen National Union (KNU) Central Committee 2nd emergency meeting was held from January 23 to 25, 2012 at a certain place in the Karen State. The meeting was attended by a total of 38 representatives, 35 Central Committee members and 3 specially invited representatives [...]

Safeguarding Human Rights in a Post-Ceasefire Eastern Burma

The ongoing ceasefire negotiations between the Government of Myanmar and the Karen National Union present an important opportunity for bringing lasting peace and improved human rights conditions to local people in eastern Burma [...]

Ceasefire and Political Dialogue, Highest Hurdles Ahead for Thein Sein’s Government

Thein Sein’s government has been applauded for some recent reforms, including last week’s release of 299 political prisoners. However, one of the biggest hurdles remaining for the regime will be dealing with the ongoing armed conflict in Eastern Burma and the political concerns of the country’s ethnic nationalities.

President Thein Sein has issued two separate orders to halt offensives against the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the most recent of the two coming the day before the regime’s delegation led by Aung Thaung was set to meet with the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO). According to Minister of Immigration and Population, Khin Yi, this most recent order covered the entire country. However, the Burma Army continued launching attacks against the KIA, including on the second day of the ceasefire talks between the regime and the KIO, resulting in a premature end of the negotiations. The Burma Army’s ongoing attacks continue to raise serious questions about Thein Sein’s decision-making power within the regime [...]

Release of Political Prisoners: One Step of Many Needed for Democracy in Burma

In its most substantive gesture to date, Thein Sein’s government released 651 prisoners on Friday 16 January. Among those released are ethnic leaders, leaders of the 88 Generation Student movement, and other prominent political prisoners. We applaud their release and recognize the importance of this step but further reforms are necessary in order for freedom and democracy to truly come to Burma.

The most crucial step that must be taken is the amendment or repeal of existing repressive laws, such as the Electronics Transactions Law, which subjects individuals to up to fifteen years in prison for the dissemination or receipt of information considered a threat to national tranquility, and the Unlawful Associations Act. Such repressive laws have long been used to imprison political opponents. As long as these laws remain on the books, the people of Burma will continue to risk arrest solely for expressing their opinion. This is something many of the recently released political prisoners know well, having been arrested, sentenced, released in an amnesty, and then subsequently rearrested multiple times. The concern that these political prisoners could be returned to prison should they seek to speak out against the government is of particular concern given that their release was based upon Article 401 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which allows for prisoners’ sentences to be suspended or remitted, but not cancelled as in previous amnesties. This means that should they be rearrested they could be forced to serve the remainder of their original sentence [...]

Statement on Initial Agreement between KNU and Burmese Government

The 19-member KNU delegation held talks with Railways Minister, U Aung Min, and other representatives of the Burmese government on 12-1-2012, in Pa-an. The KNU delegation reached an initial agreement with the Burmese government’s representatives towards a ceasefire agreement. When the delegation returns to our headquarters, the KNU leadership will discuss about subsequent steps required in this dialogue with the Burmese government.

Statement from Karen Communities Worldwide

Today, coinciding with ceasefire negotiations between Burma’s military backed government and the Karen National Union (KNU), we are holding traditional peace ceremonies outside Burmese Embassies around the world, and at other venues.

The traditional peace ceremonies are being held to call on the military-backed government to not only to agree a ceasefire, but also engage in dialogue to solve the political problems behind the conflict [...]

Position Statement on Peace Talks Between the KNU and the Burmese Government

On 12 January 2012, a 19-member delegation, led by General Mutu Say Poe and Padoh David Taw under the supervision of the KNU Committee for Emergence of Peace, will begin talks in Pa-an with representatives of the Burmese government [...]