The Karen National Union (KNU) has temporarily suspended its participation in the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), an alliance of Burma’s ethnic armed groups. However, the UNFC expects the group to return to the alliance once the KNU has held a negotiating meeting, according to the UNFC’s newly-elected General Secretary, Khu Oo Reh.
The UNFC continues to reserve two positions for KNU representatives since the KNU has not permanently resigned. The UNFC hopes that the KNU will return to the alliance once the group holds a central committee conference within the KNU.
“[The] KNU will send its representatives to the UNFC. But whether it does or not we will only know after [its] central committee meeting. The KNU was one of the UNFC’s 6 major members since its inception. It recognizes that the KNU’s duties aren’t complete yet; thus, we have reserved positions [for the KNU],” said Khu Oo Reh.
According to a statement released at the UNFC’s first congress, the UNFC has opened two leading positions to be filled by KNU representatives when the group returns to the UNFC.
Whether the KNU will return to the ethnic alliance will only be known after the KNU has held its central committee conference.
“We KNU members have to negotiate within the KNU. Whether we will return to the UNFC or not will only be known after holding a central committee conference,” said KNU Vice-Chairman Naw Zipporah Sein.
The UNFC’s KNU representatives walked out of the alliance’s first congress, held on August 31st, and announced that the KNU temporarily suspended its UNFC membership on September 1st.
The UNFC’s first congress was held in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai. The conference lasted seven days and was attended by 90 representatives from the UNFC’s twelve member groups and five associated groups. On the last day of the conference, the alliance elected new leaders for the 2014-2016 term and reserved two top positions for KNU representatives.
