Burmese government and Karen insurgency meet for peace talks
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Pa-an, Burma - Burmese officials and representatives of the Karen National Union (KNU), one of the world's oldest insurgencies, met for peace talks Thursday.
A ceasefire agreement is expected to be signed between the Karen State government and the KNU, said Railways Minister Aung Min, who leads the central government's peace committee.
KNU general Mutu Say Poe leads the 19-person rebel delegation in the talks in the Karen State capital Pa-an.
The KNU, which has been fighting Myanmar central governments since January, 1949, has downplayed the talks as a tentative step towards real peace.
"These talks are being initiated as preliminary discussions towards a ceasefire agreement, which would be a first step towards solving the longstanding political conflict between the ethnic nationalities and the Burmese government," said David Tharkabaw, a KNU spokesman.//DPA
