KNU Representatives Leave UNFC Conference Early

Reported by: Khitar Non News
Monday, September 1st, 2014

Karen National Union (KNU) representatives left the first annual assembly of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) a day early, on August 31st, without staying toparticipate in the end of the meeting, according to Nai Hong Sar, General Secretary of the UNFC.

"It is mainly that at the meeting, there were some differing points of view [in regards to] the discussion points. They [KNU representatives] left [the UNFC's congress meeting] to discuss their different points of view at their central committee meeting," said Nai Hong Sar.

Nai Hong Sar continued that the KNU held a differing point of view in regards to the matter of extending UNFC members, but the issue was to be further discussed during meetings on August 31st. However, KNU representatives left the assembly before further meetings were held.

The KNU has not officially resigned from the UNFC, but does hold some different opinions from the council's constitutional policy. The KNU left the UNFC meeting because its representatives wanted to discuss their differing opinions within the KNU organization, according to David Tharckabaw, Vice-Chairman of the UNFC, and member in charge of the KNU's alliance affairs.

"That the KNU resigns is not true news," said David Tharckabaw, "KNU representatives discussed some of the UNFC's constitutional [principles] which are to be amended. While they accept some, they also do not accept others. So, to discuss those they do not accept, they left the congress meeting to meet with KNU's executive and central committees."

Although the KNU accepted the UNFC's policy before, the group does not accept some policy during this transition. Thus, KNU representatives must have a meeting within the KNU to discuss these issues.

"They are not resigning from the UNFC, but we have to wait and see. The KNU has not announced verbally, or with statement, that it resigns. [Reports that the] KNU [has] resigned is not real news," said David Tharckabaw.

The UNFC's first Congress began on August 25th, but the council postponed their meetings for two days, in order to meet with national political parties on August 29th and 30th. The UNFC continued its meetings on August 31st and September 1st.

All of the UNFC's twelve member groups were present its first Congress, but with the KNU leaving early, only eleven member groups were left attending the meeting, which will concluded on September 1st.

The UNFC was founded in 2011, and its member groups include the Kachin Independent Organization (KIO); the Karen National Union (KNU); the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP); the New Mon State Party (NMSP); the Chin National Front; The Shan State Army-North (SSPP/SSA); the Pa-Oh National Liberation Organization (PNLO); the Palaung Student Liberation Front (PSLF); the Lahu Democratic Union (LDU); the Arakan National Council (ANC); the Wa National Organization (WNO); and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA).

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