The last KNU Congress was held four years ago and the 16th Congress was due to be held later this month (November). However, during the last KNU Central Executive Committee meeting some KNU leaders submitted a proposal to only hold the KNU Congress after the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) peace process between the Burmese Government and eight ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) including the KNU, has been completed.

Naw Ohn Hla, a Karen politician, said to KIC News: “I see this as deception against the Karen people. As far as I know, the congress has been held even during the war conflict. The Peace [process] shouldn’t be used as a reason to postpone [the congress] at a time like this. Who wants to postpone it? Why? You can’t hide the [answers to these questions] from the public in this age.”

A Karen politician from Rangoon, who did not want to be named, told KIC News that the drafting of the framework for political dialogue between the Burmese government, the Burma Army, and EAOs is not yet complete and there are rumours that it may be three years before political dialogue starts.

He said that the peace process should not be used as an excuse to postpone the 16th Congress.

A Karen writer, who also did not want to be identified, expected the 16th Congress to bring changes in the KNU leadership and to decide whether the KNU should try to re-join the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) coalition of EAOs.

The writer also said that since the beginning of the year many politically aware Karen people with a strong sense of nationalism who live in the Rangoon area have been showing an interest in and discussing the KNU’s 16th Congress.

Saw Htee Muu, a Karen youth who lives in Rangoon said: “Every organisation has its own strengths and weaknesses over four years. The congress should be held in order for everyone to support and fix [the weaknesses].”

According to the KNU’s constitution, the congress must be held every four years to elect the group’s central leaders through a secret voting system.

The 15th KNU Congress and election was held at the KNU-controlled Lay Wah Camp in Hpa-an District, Karen State in December 2012.

The Central Standing Committee has been meeting every year since the last congress was held.

The last annual Central Standing Committee meeting, which was also held at Lay Wah Camp, finished on 6 November. Topics that were due to be discussed included the holding of the 16th KNU Congress, the state of Karen ethnic armed organisations, the state of their allies and KNU policies and directives. The Committee was also scheduled to review KNU political and departmental reports, work programmes, the group’s organisational structure and future work programmes.

Translated by Thida Linn
Edited in English by Mark Inkey for BNI