Karenni peace talks need to focus on two key points to avoid fighting

Myanmar troop movements and military construction activities are key issues that need to be addressed in order for the ceasefire process in Karenni State to progress, according to the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP).
The Myanmar government and the KNPP signed an initial state-level cease-fire agreement in March. A subsequent 14-point union-level deal was signed in Loikaw city on June 9. It did not include 6 additional points covering military affairs originally raised by the KNPP.


Fighting just over two weeks later on June 27 in the Mawchi area between government troops and the KNPP indicated the need for both parties to focus on military affairs in coming talks, the KNPP said.

It wants the withdrawal of government troops from Frontline No 55 Light Infantry Division, which has seven battalions operating in Karenni State.

According to authorities, battalions under Frontline No-55 operating in Parsaung township are providing security for the opening of a highway from Mawchi to Karen State.

However the stated reason does not account for the number of troops being deployed, said KNPP central committee member Maj-Gen.Aung Myart.

If there are hidden reasons behind the size of the deployment, fighting could be the result, he said.

Reconstruction of the highway road from Mawchi to Taungu in Karen State is designed to open a convenient corridor for troops to move from Naypyidaw, the new capital city of Myanmar, through Karen and Karenni states, said Maj-Gen.Aung Myart.

“They said (keeping the troops in the area) is to repair the road. It is a top strategy.  However, repairing or opening the road means troops meet face to face,’ he said.

According to Brig-Gen.Win Myint, Commander of Regional Control Command (RCC), after the state-level cease-fire agreement was reached in May, troops from No 55 division arrived in the Mawchi area as substitutions and not to conduct operations.

“The troops from LID (No 55 Light Infantry Division) in the Mawchi area are there to substitute with troops from the RCC. This is the nature of our military. The RCC have been based in the Mawchi area long enough and we don’t want any trouble regarding administration. Therefore, we have substituted No 55 in the area temporarily,” Gen.Win Myint said during the June 9 talks in Loikaw.

Colonel Phone Naing from the Karenni Army said that a clear process regarding military movements is needed to make the peace dialogue go forward.

“If we really want to make the peace process go ahead, troops from No 55 must withdraw from the area as quickly as possible - so that both parties can sign an agreement for the next steps.”

The second key issue for the Karenni peace process centres on the construction of the No 14 military training school in the Marproshay area in Pruhso Township.  Gen. Aung-Myart described this as the ‘main reason’ placing the ceasefire process at risk.

Previous peace talks couldn’t reach agreement on the training school, reportedly because the project is in the middle of construction. In 2010 the authorities confiscated at least 2,700 acres of land from villagers to build the military school. A team of local residents claims that more than 3000 acres has been confiscated. Construction began in August 2011.

The government paid compensation of 50,000 kyat per acre for only 500 acres of land confiscated, claiming that the other 2,200 acres was lowland and unusable as farmland. However, locals say that all of the confiscated lands are the ancestral property of local farmers who had used it for cultivation and to earn their livelihoods.

The authorities confiscated the land after the Ministry of Defense received permission from the state government, according to the government’s Peace Making Work Committee.

Peace committee member and Deputy Minister for Border Affairs Maj-Gen. Zaw Win said, “Regarding confiscated land for military training, there will be reconsideration. Based on the situation on the ground, if local people suffer, their petition will be reconsidered.’ Meanwhile, however, he said, “The land are already confiscated. A military construction project can’t be transferred to other government
ministries: it must be previous(SPDC) government.”

Railways Minister Aung Min said that it was difficult to make a decision as the construction process began at an earlier time.

“The constitution states that whether the previous government is right or wrong we (the current government) can’t make any decisions on this. This is a transition period and it is also a thing that is difficult to make a decision on. To be able to make a decision, we need to write a report to the Mr. President. ” said Aung Min during meeting with KNPP in March 7, Loikaw city.

Gen. Aung Myart said that if further peace talks between the KNPP and the government do not focus on the withdrawal of No 55 troops and the building of the No 14 military training school, the cease-fire will
not last and fighting could resume at any time.

He said, “If the meetings can’t reach agreement on what we propose, our Karenni national resistance movement of over 60 years is nothing. Our fight will continue.”

The KNPP is the political wing of the Karenni Army, which has fought against the Burmese army since 1948. The KNPP entered a ceasefire agreement with the Burmese army in 1995 but the ceasefire broke down after three months.

Sources from KNPP said the coming union-level meeting between KNPP and government will be on October fourth week.
Written by Kantarawaddy Times