August 23rd, 2022
In his reply letter sent dated August 4th to Naing Aung Min, the leader of the Peace Process Steering Team (PPST), General Saw Mutu Say Poe, Chair of the Karen National Union (KNU) said he will serve as a leading patron of the PPST which is formed with seven armed organizations which have signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), without representing the KNU.
General Mutu Say Poe said he received a request letter from the PPST to serve as a leading patron for the political guideline and leadership.
According to the TOR approved at the 4th NCA-S EAO Summit, the appointment of a leading patron for giving the political guideline and leadership of the PPST is the desire of the ethnic organizations. As an ethnic, I respectfully recognize that desire. According to the TOR, the leading patron has free consent to do it without the influence of organization. The leading patron has the right to independently participate in it with his own decision and without representing the organization. I believe that I can give the guideline independently to make peace through the dialogue, which is my belief.
The PPST is a group consisting of the EAOs which have signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), namely the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP), the Karen National Union/ Karen National Liberation Army-Peace Council (KNU/KNLA-PC), the PaO National Liberation Organization (PNLO), the Lahu Democratic Union (LDU), the New Mon State Party (NMSP) and the All Burma Students’ Democratic Front (ABSDF).
Sent by the MNA