KNU, DKBA Hold Armistice Talks

Leaders of the Karen National Union (KNU) and the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) held cease-fire talks on Oct 19 at an undisclosed location on the Thai-Burmese border, according to Karen sources from both sides.

It was the first time delegations from the armed groups have met since the DKBA split from the KNU in 1994 and then signed a cease-fire agreement with the Burmese military government.

Renowned fighter Maw Tho and leading Buddhist monk U Thuzana led the DKBA delegation, while the KNU was represented by its head of Pa-an District, Aung Maung Aye, and two high-ranking officers from its military wing, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA): Commander in Chief Gen Mutu Say Poe and Commander of KNLA Brigade 7 Brig-Gen Johnny, according to Karen news organization Kwekalu.

Aung Maung Aye was quoted by Kwekalu as saying: “U Thuzana met with us briefly. He brought with him a document and an inkpad to mark thumbprints to confirm a cease-fire agreement between the KNU and DKBA. However, we didn’t sign it as we thought the monk did not represent the entire DKBA.

“He suddenly stood up and left, so we did not get a chance to discuss what we had come to talk about,” Aung Maung Aye reportedly said.

The Irrawaddy could not independently confirm whether there was a misunderstanding or a dispute between the KNU delegation and U Thuzana.

The meeting between the delegations reportedly lasted 30 minutes and talks mainly focused on a statement previously released by U Thuzana urging the DKBA and KNU to cease fighting, according to a source close to the DKBA.

“The DKBA and the KNU agreed to further talks,” he said.

However, he noted, the most powerful man in the DKBA administration, Col Chit Thu, did not participate in the meeting.

Speaking to The Irrawaddy on Friday, the DKBA source said he believed that further negotiations between the two Karen groups is uncertain, because all battalions belonging to the DKBA are obliged to confirm their participation in the junta’s border guard force plan by Oct. 31.     

Some sources said rumors had spread that U Thuzana was warned by Burmese officials following the talks. Other sources, however, doubted the rumor and said it was more likely that the Burmese military authorities were, in fact, behind the talks.

Despite the proximity of the deadline for agreeing to the border guard plan, several DKBA units are allegedly in dispute with the leadership and do not want to join a force that will be dominated by Burmese military commanders.

More than 100 members of the DKBA and another splinter group, the Karen Peace Force, have defected to the KNLA since June, according to Karen sources.

Meanwhile, another Karen breakaway group, the KNU/KNLA Peace Council, released a statement on Oct. 20 saying they had rejected the junta’s border guard force order.

“We believe that accepting military programs [border guard force role] will only continue the confusion, fear and never-ending conflict resulting in disruption to the democratic process for the year 2010,” the statement said.