CNI News

27 Feb 2023

The calls for the resignation of the entire central executive committee of the Karen National Union are likely to be rejected by KNU because such calls sounded like an order, Chairman Mahn Aung Pyi Soe of the Karen National Democratic Party told the CNI.

Sixty-eight Karen civil society organizations have called for the resignation of the entire central executive committee to take accountability for failure to overcome the political leadership crisis.

He told the CNI, "It looked as if they were issuing orders. It is difficult for them to order an armed organization. Therefore, people from Duplaya and Kyarinseikkyi made a petition urging KNU leaders to hold negotiations instead of fighting each other. The civil society organization should have taken lessons from such an example. They need to think about whether an armed organization would accept what they said."

The civil society organization sent an open letter to the KNU, urging the entire central executive committee for failure to take action against an executive committee member who was involved in gambling projects in Karen State and to acknowledge the case to the public.

The open letter sent by 68 Karen CSOs.

On 17th January, 2023, Thai PBS reported that Phado Saw Roger Khin had approved the Hwamywa new city project near the Shwe Kokko new city project in Karen State. And KNU leaders failed to take action against the project.

Such issues should be resolved through negotiations between brigades or political organizations, Mahn Aung Pyi Soe said.

He told the CNI, "In my opinion, the best way to resolve such an issue is through negotiations. If the CSOs had met the KNU and discussed the issues, the result might have been different. At the same time, the KTLA faction led by Nerdah Mya is fighting against other KNU factions. I am too disappointed to talk about the issues."

The CNI contacted the KNU over the phone for comments about the open letter of the 68 CSOs but it has not answered the phone.

The KNU is a signatory to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement but it has fought against the military in cooperation with the People's Defence Forces since the coup on 1st February, 2021.