Republic of the Union of Myanmar National Solidarity and Peacemaking Negotiation Committee Statement

 9 May 2023

1. With regard to the Statement issued by the 17th KNU-Karen National Union Congress on 5 May 2023, Paragraph (2) stated “coup d’état of the military together with the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent challenges”; Paragraph (5) stipulated fighting against the chauvinism and military dictatorship, establishment of a federal democratic system, ensuring national equality Karen nationals deserve, and enjoying the rights of self-administration; and Paragraph (6) described “emergence of a federal democratic Union after fighting against chauvinism and military dictatorship, national equality and self-administration”.

2. As the government signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement-NCA together with eight ethnic armed organizations on 15 October 2015 with the witnesses of the United Nations, the European Union, the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of India, Japan and the Kingdom of Thailand in order to restore the durable and perpetual peace, KNU also signed the NCA.

3. The State Administration Council declared the State of Emergency in accord with the Constitution (2008) and unavoidably and temporarily controlled the State as voting frauds in the 2020 election were not solved and attempts were made to grab the State power. The Five-Point Road Map of the State Administration Council clearly mentions “Priority will be accorded to work aligned with the agreements set out in the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement-NCA in order to achieve enduring peace for the entire nation” and “Upon accomplishing the provisions of the state of emergency, free and fair multiparty democratic elections will be held in line with the 2008 Constitution, and further work will be undertaken to hand over State duties to the winning party in accordance with the democratic standards”. Moreover, it repeatedly mentioned that if the country is stable, the election will be held, and State power will be handed over to the winning civilian government.

4. The statement of KNU on the coup d’état of the military, the emergence of a federal democratic Union by fighting against chauvinism and military dictatorship, and its plan to cooperate with ethnic revolution forces, democratic forces and all strata of the people who pledged to enjoy democracy, national equality and self-administration does not show the constructive attitude, is against the provisions of the NCA and leads to the confrontation.

5. Current instabilities are conflicts triggered by instigation and external interference based on party attachment and personal cult. As Paragraph (1) (a) of the NCA shows agreements to build the Union based on democracy and federalism in accord with the results of political dialogues with full guarantees of democracy, national equality and rights of self-administration based on liberty, equality and justice, the armed struggle line based on the confrontation derails from the democratic system but leads to the terrorism. So, it causes hindrances to building the Union based on multiparty democratic and federal systems the entire ethnic national people aspire to as well as tremendous difficulties for the ethnics and the entire people who wish to enjoy internal peace, stability and development.

6. Currently, the government has talked about the peace process together with 10 ethnic armed organizations by inviting all ethnic armed organizations to seek solutions through dialogue. Good results and common agreements on peace and development have come out, and peace talks is open to all ethnic armed organizations up to now.

7. As such, the statement is hereby issued that the way of talks in line with the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) only can help restore durable and perpetual peace, and it will be the correct way for the stability of the State, development, ethnic unity and national solidarity.

National Solidarity and Peacemaking Negotiation Committee

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