CNI News
3 September 2025
The declaration of the Karen National Union (KNU) as a terrorist organization and unlawful association has sparked comments among military and political analysts on whether it means expulsion from the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA).
On August 28, 2025, the Anti-Terrorism Central Committee under the National Security and Peace Commission declared the KNU a terrorist organization, while the Ministry of Home Affairs announced it as an unlawful association. Since the KNU is a signatory to the NCA, the declaration has raised questions.
Dr. Aung Myo, a Myanmar political analyst, told CNI News that the move was more like a suspension than a complete expulsion from the NCA:
“In the NCA agreement, it doesn’t say that if a group becomes a terrorist, the membership is automatically void. There is no law that states the agreement ends if one party is declared a terrorist. The current decision depends on practical actions. Legally speaking, one cannot say the KNU has been removed from NCA membership. Even if the group abandons terrorism and wants to rejoin, a new agreement is not required. It is more accurate to say the KNU’s membership has been temporarily suspended.”
KNU leader and Minister U Aung Min exchanging documents at the NCA signing ceremony on October 15, 2015
The KNU was declared a terrorist and unlawful association on the grounds that it carried out terrorist acts within the country, threatened the rule of law, disrupted national peace and stability, and endangered the security and well-being of the public.
After the February 1, 2021 political change, the KNU had already announced its withdrawal from the NCA.
Regarding the recent declaration, Colonel Khun Okkar, Chairman of the Pa-O National Liberation Organization (PNLO-NCA/S), said to CNI News that it appeared to be a response from the military to the KNU’s increasingly strong oppositional statements and interviews:
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and former KNU Chairman
“Since the NCA has already been ratified by the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, it is a legal document. Signatories can withdraw voluntarily, and they can also dissolve it by themselves. But the NCA itself does not expire. Therefore, the principles and provisions of the NCA are still valid. Some groups comply with it, others don’t. Within the KNU, there are factions. For example, Brigade 7 refrains from fighting and tries to find peaceful solutions according to the NCA. Some leaders cooperate with the Karen State government and maintain engagement. That’s why the government has treated the KNU with a certain level of tolerance. But now, as elections approach and the KNU has openly declared strong opposition attitude, the government has invoked the terrorism and unlawful association law against it.”
The declaration came shortly after the KNU’s August 26 statement, which urged Karen armed groups, political forces, parties, and the public to oppose the upcoming election through non-violent means. The group characterized the election as one designed to favor individuals and parties aligned with the military.
Meanwhile, intense fighting continues between the Myanmar Tatmadaw and the KNU.
