Wednesday, 11 April 2012 15:54 Mizzima News
(Mizzima) – The Karen National Union (KNU) has opened a liaison office in Kyaukkyi, Toungoo District, in Bago region as part of its peacemaking agreement with the Burmese government after decades of fighting.
The liaison office will coordinate activities with the government and comes only days after peace talks between the two sides in Rangoon on Friday, in which some 13 peace points were agreed upon.
The KNU liaison office was jointly dedicated by Minister of Rails Transportation Aung Min; Bago region Security and Border Affairs Minister Colonel Thet Tun; and KNU leader Zipporah Sein, according to the New Light of Myanmar.
Talks are continuing in Bago between the two sides.
The 13 points agreed to in central-level peace talks in Rangoon cover work toward a nationwide cease-fire, laying down a code of conduct with regard to cease-fires to guarantee security for the civilian population, monitoring the peace process in three phases -- local monitoring, international monitoring and open monitoring – as well as release of Karen political prisoners.
Other points include resettlement of homeless Karen nationalities with guarantees of food security and livelihood; issuing citizenship to displaced Karen nationalities; the rule of law and sustainable development.
On the sideline of the talks, President Thein Sein met with the KNU delegation on Saturday, signifying a first historic meeting between the head of the government and an anti-government ethnic armed group.
The KNU delegation also met for the first time with Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the National League for Democracy, in Rangoon.
The KNU delegation will travel to Mu Theh in Bago region and Daewei in Tanintharyi region to observe the opening of a humanitarian assistance office and meet with people affected by the fighting.
The KNU has fought the government for over six decades. So far, a total of 11 armed groups have signed preliminary peace agreements with the government at the state or central level.
(Mizzima) – The Karen National Union (KNU) has opened a liaison office in Kyaukkyi, Toungoo District, in Bago region as part of its peacemaking agreement with the Burmese government after decades of fighting.
The liaison office will coordinate activities with the government and comes only days after peace talks between the two sides in Rangoon on Friday, in which some 13 peace points were agreed upon.
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| The KNU peace team and Burmese President Thein Sein in Naypyitaw Photo: Karen News |
The KNU liaison office was jointly dedicated by Minister of Rails Transportation Aung Min; Bago region Security and Border Affairs Minister Colonel Thet Tun; and KNU leader Zipporah Sein, according to the New Light of Myanmar.
Talks are continuing in Bago between the two sides.
The 13 points agreed to in central-level peace talks in Rangoon cover work toward a nationwide cease-fire, laying down a code of conduct with regard to cease-fires to guarantee security for the civilian population, monitoring the peace process in three phases -- local monitoring, international monitoring and open monitoring – as well as release of Karen political prisoners.
Other points include resettlement of homeless Karen nationalities with guarantees of food security and livelihood; issuing citizenship to displaced Karen nationalities; the rule of law and sustainable development.
On the sideline of the talks, President Thein Sein met with the KNU delegation on Saturday, signifying a first historic meeting between the head of the government and an anti-government ethnic armed group.
The KNU delegation also met for the first time with Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the National League for Democracy, in Rangoon.
The KNU delegation will travel to Mu Theh in Bago region and Daewei in Tanintharyi region to observe the opening of a humanitarian assistance office and meet with people affected by the fighting.
The KNU has fought the government for over six decades. So far, a total of 11 armed groups have signed preliminary peace agreements with the government at the state or central level.
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