Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Burmese government and Kalo Htoo Baw sign peace agreement

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Tuesday, 13 December 2011 13:29 Min Thet

Rangoon (Mizzima) – Burma’s state-run TV has announced that the government and the Kalo Htoo Baw, a small breakaway faction of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, signed an peace agreement on Sunday in Karen State.

A seven-member Union level peace-making group led by Lower House MP Aung Thaung and a six-member Kalo Htoo Baw delegation led by Saw Lah Pwe met in Hpaan. The negotiators also met earlier on November 3, according to state-run TV.

“We agree to continue a dialogue for establishing long-lasting peace,” said the agreement. “Karen State is an important part of Burma. It is agreed not to secede from the Union.”

The Chinese People’s Daily said the six-point peace agreement covered honoring Nov. 3's preliminary talks, the settlement of the Kalo Htoo Baw armed group members in the area of Sonseemyaing, the joint combating of narcotic drugs and continued talks, working together to create development projects in the area and boosting trade and economic growth.

In other peace accords, in response to a peace offer by President Thein Sein on Aug. 18, two armed groups based in Wa Special Region-2 and Mongla Special Region-4 initiated peace agreements with the central government respectively in early October.

On Nov. 29, the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) also initiated peace talks with the central government in Ruili, a Chinese border town linking Burma’s Muse.

However, no agreement has been reached, and the KIO says fighting is continuing in the state, with the government reinforcing its troops.

On Dec. 3, the Restoration Council of Shan State of the Shan State Army-South initiated a cease-fire agreement with the Shan state local government.

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