Return to legal fold, says SPDC to KNU

DVB ( 16 October, 2003 )

The SPDC own newspaper, the New Light of Myanmar, says on 14 October that despite the repeated requests and efforts of the regime, the KNU (Karen National Union) fails ‘to return to legal fold’.

Colonel Kyaw Win, the deputy head of military intelligence (MI) head maintained that the military junta made at least seven ‘attempts’ during 1995 and 1996 for ‘peace’ in Burma but the KNU failed to respond.

Phado Saw Ba Thin, the president of the KNU responded to the SPDC’s accusations as follows:

Phado Saw Ba Thin : We had never received a legal invitation from the regime once. We have always told them clearly that we want to solve the problems by peaceful means. They told us in the recent news conference to return to ‘legal fold’. It is against our principles because the main purpose of the demand is not to unite us…but to exploit us for their own purpose. We have been expressing our views on solving problems by peaceful means through the statements we issued. They have never responded to us…as for the efforts in 1996, we told them that we have been having the civil war for nearly 50 years and we won’t be able to solve the problemsduring one sitting. We need to take more time and discussions to do it. They didn’t accept our proposal. They only told us that if we didn’t obey their orders, they would take action on us. They also claimed that they were not responsible. Straight after that, they started to attack us. The talk broke down and the fighting resume…People from outside would say that the people of Karen State are suffering because the KNU didn’t sign the ceasefire agreement. As far as we know, people in the Mon New State Party who signed ceasefire agreements with the SPDC controlled area are still suffering despite the agreements. Similarly, the Kachin people are also suffering. People might see it very differently from the outside. In reality, we do have sympathy with the Kachin and Mon people who are suffering on the ground…The civil war has been raging on in Burma for more than 50 years and it has impoverished the nation. You can’t find solutions by means of bullying and guns.Therefore, we have been urging the military regime to solve the problems of the country by peaceful means, through tripartite talks and to rebuild the unity of the country.