KNU turns down SAC chairman’s invitation to peace talk for being exclusive
The Karen National Union issued a statement on May 9 saying that it would not be able to attend the peace talk invited by Chairman of the State Administration Council Senior General Min Aung Hlaing as it is not favourable for an inclusive dialogue.
If we are truly willing for a genuine peace for our country, the participation of all stakeholders desiring to build a future federal democratic union is necessary, the KNU said in its statement.
The invitation for peace now, however, is limiting the participation of all stakeholders, and will result only in an unsuccessful endeavor to obtain a genuine peace and effectively ending armed conflict.
The current situation caused widespread combats and attacks across the country, and thus, led to humanitarian crisis. Therefore, upcoming dialogue with the military council, as of now, should be conducted on the basis of allowing humanitarian assistance and emergency relief only.
Building trust, being an essential matter in dialogue for peace, is necessary to prioritize the people, and therefore, stop all the activities such as combating, violent attack, arrest, atrocities, burning villages, shelling and air-bombardment that create the conflict and instability, the statement pointed out.
Through “political will”, the new arrangement for peace and political dialogue should be conducted among dialogue partners and seeking for the solution to end the conflict peacefully, solving the historically deeply rooted political problems, ending military dictatorship, leaving the Tatmadaw’s role from politics and accepting transitional justice, recognizing mutual respect, valuing equality, and willingness to negotiate with equality, farness, truth, and dignity and so on. These shared valued should be prioritized, and moreover, at the different level of dialogues, the role of international involvement as observers, facilitators, witnesses, and the role to provide technical assistance and resources must be allowed.
As our country is inhabited by diverse ethnicities and different religious groups, there are diversity in terms of language, religious belief and customs, and different geography and location, the KNU therefore believe that a just and genuine peace can only be achieved by systematically and practically implementing democratic culture, division of power and freedom and freedom and self-determination, the statement added.
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