The Karen National Union (KNU) Central Standing Committee [CSC} has decided to postpone the KNU’s 16th Congress from November 2016 till March 2017.
The decision was taken at the CSC’s annual meeting that was held in Lay Wah (Law Khee Lar) from 31 October till 10 November.
A member of the Central Standing Committee who did not want to be named said to KIC News on 10 November: “We have decided to hold the [16th] Congress within six months. The Central Executive Committee will decide the exact date. It [the Congress] will be held in March 2017.”
He explained that the 16th Congress had been postponed to prevent disruption to the peace process. The postponement will give the KNU more time to properly prepare for the upcoming second session of the 21st Century Panglong Conference and organise inviting Karen representatives from all around Burma to the 16th Congress.
The KNU Central Executive Committee (CEC) is responsible for the day-to-day running of the KNU. At the last CEC meeting in October it was decided to hold the 16th Congress on 21 November.
Despite this decision some KNU leaders at the CEC meeting submitted a proposal to postpone the 16th Conference until the KNU and the Burmese Government had completed the peace process.
The proposal was then discussed at the annual CSC meeting at Lay Wah in November and the CEC decision was rejected in favour of postponing the 16th Congress.
It was also decided that the KNU Joint Secretary (1), Padoh Saw Thawthi Bwe, would lead an 11-member preparatory committee that will decide on the date of the 16th Congress and its timetable.
When they were surveyed Karen communities, both in Burma and overseas, expressed their disapproval over the delays to 16th Congress.
Saw Ka Pi, the director of the Salween Institute for Public Policy, said: “[Congress] can be postponed if it does not go against the wishes of the majority of the Central [Standing] Committee members and the KNU’s constitution.”
He added: “There is no problem in postponing Congress for another six months if there is a good reason. It is very important not to make a habit of postponing [Congress] to profit politically from it [the postponement], or to delay it [Congress] because of outside interference.”
According to the KNU constitution Congress can be postponed for up to two years because of the political situation, or because there is a war or conflict, but at least 70 per cent of the CSC have to vote to postpone Congress.
Reporting by S’Phan Shaung for KIC News
Translated by Thida Linn
Edited in English by Mark Inkey for BNI
