Timeline of the KNU and series of Burmese government peace negotiation

First Negotiation: KNU-AFPFL (Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League) government under Prime Minister U Nu. April 1949.

President of the Karen National Union (KNU) Saw Ba U Kyi warmly welcome a cease-fire at Insein organized through the intercession of the British and common wealth ambassador in Rangoon. President Saw Ba U Kyi traveled down to Rangoon accompanied by Mahn James Tun Aung and Sgaw Say Htoo. While negotiation between leaders of KNU and AFPFL is in process AFPFL troops took the advantage of the negotiation and moved its troops closer to the KNU front line position. Sgaw Say Htoo accompanying the AFPFL troops requested the KNU troops not to open fire through loudspeaker. Prime Minister U Nu and General Ne win insist on the KNU to surrender but ignore to solve the Karen National question and the fighting resumed on April 9, 1949. The intermediary was Bishop West.

Second Negotiation: Secret Peace talk with the Care Taker government under Gen. Ne Win February. 1960. Rangoon.

Brigadier Aung Gyi, the army vice chief of staff contacted Bo Kyin Pe (aka Koe Doh) and Mahn Mya Maung. KAF's Delta command, by letter. After a brief exchange of messages, in early February, Gen. Kaw Htoo and Sgaw Ler Taw flew by helicopter from Papun to join Bo Kyin Pe in Rangoon for a series of four meetings spread over ten days. The main speaker from the Care Taker government was Brigadier Aung Gyi, Aung shwe and Col. Maung Maung. The Care Taker government stated that they could only agreed to consider about the Karen national questions only when the KNU enter the legal fold. So the negotiation broke down again.

Third Negotiation: Between KNU, KNPP, NMSP and the Revolutionary Council under General Ne Win -August 1963 Rangoon.

Three parties peace mission or Tripartite peace mission team Karenni National Progressive Party, New Mon State party (NMSP) and Karen National Union (KNU) went together for peace talk with the Revolutionary Council under General Ne Win -August 1963.
1. Saw Maw Reh -KNPP
2. Saw San Lin -KNPP
3. Nai Shwe Kyin -NMSP
4. Nai Htin -NMSP
5. Nai Tet Tun -NMSP
6. Mahn Ba Zan -KNU
7. Saw Than Aung -KNU
8. Sgaw Ler Taw -KNU
9. Bo Kyin Pe -KNU
10. Bo Wah Sein (Gen. Tarmlar Baw) -KNU
11. Saw Mya Maung -Staff
12. Saw Tun Kyin -Staff

After arriving at Rangoon the three parties leaders decided to meet the Revolution Council together with the National Democratic United Front (NDUF) as one team. All parties agreed that they wanted to present a strong united front. Member of the NDUF includes CPB and the Chin National Vanguard Party. The Revolutionary Council had seven official meeting with the NDUF between October 8 and November14.

As the Revolutionary Council keep on demanding for unconditional surrender the Three Parties Peace Mission cannot accept it and the negotiation broke down on November 14, 1963. The Karen National Union (KNU) met and conferred with the consecutive people in power on three different occasions. During those meeting, the KNU tried to establish the mutual cease-fire agreements and directed its efforts to free, peaceful and just solutions for political problems. However, those successive powers, instead of free and lawful political solutions to the political problems, have demanded only complete surrender and total submission, thus the peace negotiation attempts have ended in failure on several occasions.

Fourth Negotiation: Between KNU and SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council)
December, 1995.

April 23, 1993— Gen Bo Mya, Chairman of the Karen National Union (KNU), sends an open letter to Sr-Gen Than Shwe, chairman of the ruling Burmese junta, demanding that a countrywide ceasefire be declared and all political prisoners be released as conditions for the holding of peace talks.

December 14 to 19, 1995—The first meeting between KNU representatives, led by Central Committee Member Maha Stila, and Burma Army representatives, led by Deputy Director of Defence Services Intelligence Col Kyaw Win and Deputy Commander of the Southeast Command Col Aung Thein, is held in Moulmein, Mon State.

December 21, 1995—KNU delegates led by Maha Stila meet with Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, Secretary One of the ruling junta, at the First Peace Conference in Rangoon.
February 15 to 16, 1996—The second meeting between KNU representatives, led by Gen-Sec Padoh Mahn Sha, and Burma Army representatives, led by Col Thein Swe, a department head of the Ministry of Defense’s Office of Strategic Studies, is held in Moulmein, Mon State.

February 22, 1996—KNU delegates, again led by Padoh Mahn Sha, meet with Sec-1 Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt at the Second Peace Conference held in Rangoon.
June 6 to 7, 1996—The third meeting between KNU delegates, led by Chief-of-Staff Gen Tarmalar Baw, and Burma Army representatives, led by Deputy Commander of the Southeast Command Brig-Gen Aung Thein and Deputy Director of Defence Services Intelligence Col Kyaw Win, is held in Moulmein, Mon State.

July 4, 1996— KNU delegates led by Gen Tamalar Baw meet with Sec-1 Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt at the Third Peace Conference held in Rangoon.
November 22 to 23, 1996—The fourth meeting between KNU delegates, led by Gen Tarmalar Baw, and Burma Army representatives, led by Brig-Gen Aung Thein and Col Kyaw Win, is held in Moulmein, Mon State.

Fifth Negotiation: Between KNU and SPDC (State Peace and Development Council)
December 2003

November 22, 2003—KNU leaders meet with Col San Pwint, a spokesman for Burma’s Ministry of Defense, in Mae Sot, Thailand, near the Burmese border. Col San Pwint says the Burmese military government is open to dialogue with the KNU without conditions.

December 3 to 8, 2003—A five-member KNU delegation, including Lt-Col Soe Soe, a KNU liaison officer, flies to Rangoon to meet now Prime Minister Gen Khin Nyunt and Karen community leaders. Upon their return, Gen Bo Mya comments that the KNU has verbally agreed to a ceasefire with the government.

January 15, 2004—A KNU delegation of 20 Karen officials, led by Gen Bo Mya, arrive in Rangoon for talks with top junta leaders, including Khin Nyunt, to discuss an official ceasefire agreement.

January 20, 2004—Khin Nyunt meets with Bo Mya and hosts a dinner party for the Karen delegation at the Kandawgyi Palace Hotel, which marks Bo Mya’s 77th birthday.

January 22, 2004—The Karen delegation concludes the trip by reaching an informal ceasefire agreement with the junta but sign no documents.

February 22 to 25, 2004—A 12-member Karen delegation, led by KNU joint secretary Lt-Col Htoo Htoo Lay and foreign affairs chief David Taw, leave for another round of peace talks with the junta in Moulmein, the Mon State capital.

The Karen delegation meets Maj-Gen Kyaw Win, Brig-Gen Kyaw Thein and Col San Pwint of the Office of the Chief of Military Intelligence on Feb 23.The same day, soldiers from the KNU’s Third Brigade attack a Burma Army outpost in Donzayit village in Pegu Division, about 85 miles from Rangoon, just hours before the start of the peace talks in Moulmein.

On Feb 25, the Karen delegation wraps up its three-day trip which results in no formal ceasefire agreement.

On October 18, the KNU's delegation was headed by Padoh Htoo Htoo Lay, KNU first joint general secretary. Gen Muu Tuu, commander of the KNLA's Sixth Brigade, and David Taw, head of foreign affairs department traveled to Rangoon. The talk was canceled after General Khin Nyunt was ousted and put under house arrest on October 19, 2004.

Source:
The Irrawaddy
KNU.

---