During a meeting on Monday, the group agreed on the following points:

– A permanent and sustainable peace for the whole country can result from cease-fire agreements with ethnic armed groups as long as the cease-fire talk processes on both sides are based on sincerity and a real commitment for change.

– The talks should not be aimed to only benefit a single group or class of people or a single party, but should be for the benefit and development of the entire people in the country.

– During the cease-fire talks both sides must include people’s representatives, members of civil organizations, religious leaders and the media to observe and witness the talks.

– Both sides must reveal their talking points to the people through the media to promote transparency as a move towards democracy.

– As soon as the cease-fire talks reach an agreement, inclusive political dialogue with all ethnic groups at the same time and in one place must be begun as a first priority.

– All mega-development projects must be reviewed and suspended and new economic and development projects must be considered only after political problems are solved through inclusive political dialogue with all ethnic and relevant stakeholders in the country.

– For freedom of movement and freedom of livelihood for the people, both the government and KNPP have to remove all land mines including unregistered land mines.

– As soon as a cease-fire agreement is signed, all human right abuses must cease and the security of all civilians, particularly women, must be guaranteed.

– After a cease-fire agreement is signed, both sides must allow people to freely form community-based organizations and operate freely in all areas.

– International organizations and local community-based organizations must be allowed to monitor the implementation of the signed agreement.

– There must be rule of law, so that all people can have recourse to justice.

KNPP Secretary 1 Khu Oo Reh told Mizzima last week that the government and KNPP peace delegation would meet again at Loikaw in Karenni State to talk about defining the control areas, liaison offices and the basic needs of Karenni troops.  

 “As a first step, both sides will exchange information about their troops,” Khu Oo Reh said. “Especially, we will talk about our troop locations and control areas.”

In early February, a peace delegation led by Rail Transportation Minister Aung Min and KNPP leaders met in Chiang Mai in northern Thailand and agreed to meet again in the first week of March.

Groups that make up the Karenni Community Based Organizations include:

1) Karenni Social Welfare and Development Centre
2) Karenni National Women Organization
3) Karenni Refugees Committee
4) Karenni National Youth Organization
5) Karenni Students Union
6) Karenni Teachers Union
7) Karenni Documentation Centre
8) Karenni Civil Society Network
9) Karenni Mobile Health Committee
10) Kantarrawaddy Times
11)  Karenni Evergreen Group
12)  Karenni Development Research Group
13) Karenni Community College
14) Karenni Information Centre