The Karen National Union (KNU) announced that the Kawthoolei government, which it will form, will include all resistance forces and be established as a coalition government.
The future Kawthoolei government will not only represent the Karen people, but will be formed as a “KNU Plus” coalition government that includes all resistance forces, said Padoh Saw Taw Nee, a spokesperson for the KNU.
Padoh Saw Taw Nee said, “While the KNU will take the lead, others will also be included. This means that other ethnic groups, not Karen, will also join our group, this Kawthoolei.”
This statement was made by Padoh Saw Taw Nee during a clarification on the Kawthoolei Federal Unit on the 76th Kawthoolei Day, which falls on 14 June.
The KNU said the “KNU Plus” strategy will take a leading role, but will also include representation from non-Karen ethnic groups, youth, women’s groups, and the winning candidates of the 2020 election.
The administrative mechanism to be formed will also include an all-inclusive legislative council (Kawthoolei Consultative Council – KCC) and an executive committee (Kawthoolei Executive Committee – KEC), with the KEC taking charge of the government’s work, Padoh Saw Taw Nee added.
“This is truly about grassroots unity coming together to build our union. It’s not about arbitrarily dividing and breaking it into fragments. We will move forward with a spirit of inclusiveness,” said Padoh Saw Taw Nee.
The KNU said that while the goal is to form a Kawthoolei government between 2025 and 2026, there are still challenges that will take time to prepare solid policies and human resources.
However, the Karen National Union (KNU) says its “KNU Plus” strategy aims to build a governing mechanism based on the unity of the Spring Revolution.
Political analysts say that the KNU’s current political approach could become a practical prototype for building a future federal union.
This reflects a desire to establish a system of collective governance by those with similar political goals rather than ethnicity.
Sent by NMG