Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – The Karen National Union (KNU), which has fought the Burmese army for more than 60 years, has called for the new government to negotiate a cease-fire and hold a political dialogue with ethnic armed groups.
‘The KNU strongly urges the government to order the army to leave ethnic areas, to end the violence against civilians and to hold a serious political dialogue with the opposition’, said a KNU statement issued on Monday, April 4.
The statement called on the United Nations to put pressure on Burma’s government to negotiate a cease-fire and to engage in reconciliation dialogue.
Last year, there were 1,083 military engagements between the Burmese army and the KNU, in which 618 Burmese soldiers were killed, 1,304 were injured and 16 were captured by the KNU, according to the KNU annual report published in late 2010. Nine KNU soldiers were killed and nine were injured, the report said.
