Padoh Saw Taw Nee, the spokesperson for the Karen National Union (KNU), has responded to claims linking the KNU’s alleged procurement of new weapons during the civilian National League for Democracy (NLD) government to ongoing conflicts.
During a three-day peace forum organized by the military junta, U Nyo Ohn Myint from the Myanmar Narrative, an attendee, commented on the current conflicts, suggesting a need to revisit the context of arms procurement by ethnic groups, particularly the KNU, in 2018 following the signing of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA).
KNU spokesperson Padoh Saw Taw Nee said: “In 2018, the military pushed aggressively for a ‘single armed forces’ policy. That derailed the peace process. Because of this, we spent two years in discussions to get back on track. They’re ignoring this context and making baseless claims. The main point is that the entire peace process collapsed because the military, driven by greed, staged a coup.”
After the second 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference in 2018, during the NCA period, discussions on security issues—particularly the junta’s demand for a single armed forces—sparked disputes between ethnic armed groups and the government.
In response, the KNU temporarily suspended participation in formal peace meetings in November 2018, announcing it would only engage in informal discussions.
After eight rounds of informal talks between the KNU and the government, discussions had reached a resolution, but then the military council seized power in 2021.
Afterward, in 2023, the KNU, together with the Chin National Front (CNF) and the All Burma Students’ Democratic Front (ABSDF), officially issued a statement declaring the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) null and void.
“Those who cause these problems bear the responsibility. They have the responsibility to resolve the root issues of the peace process; the military must first withdraw from politics, a new constitution must be drafted, and perpetrators must be held accountable. Without these steps, nothing can be resolved—that’s all I want to say,” added Padoh Saw Taw Nee.
Currently, the junta-led National Solidarity and Peacemaking Coordinating Committee (NSPNC) is hosting the 2025 Peace Forum, which the KNU and other opposition groups are not in attendance. However, some ethnic armed groups with ties to the junta, including the Karen National Union- Peace Council (PC), are participating.
The peace forum, scheduled to take place from 25-27June, will focus on preparations for elections planned for December and post-election matters, according to junta-controlled media.
On 25 June, junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, in his opening remarks at the peace forum, invited ethnic armed revolutionary groups opposing the junta to disarm and engage in peace talks through the electoral process.
Sent by KIC.