Karen People Say – Give Peace a Chance
Recent political changes in Burma by the government suggest it is slowly moving away from the military dictatorship that controlled the country for more than 60-years. However, while the Burma Army continues to forcibly displace and abuse villagers in ethnic areas, skepticism and concern about the government’s motives remain. Ethnic and political opposition groups have spoken out against the government’s ‘peace talks’ as a ploy to destroy ethnic unity and a tactic to convince the international community to lift sanctions and invest in Burma.
In spite of the skepticism ‘peace talks’ with the ethnic armed groups have been timetabled. The Karen National Union – the government’s staunchest opponents – has been fighting against the military regime that dominated Burma for more than 60 years. Now the KNU will officially meet with the Burma government for ‘peace talks’ on 12th January, in the Pa-an Town, the capital of Karen