Karen National Union (KNU)

Alliances

Kachin Independence Army (KIO/KIA), Karenni Army (KNPP/KA), Chin National Army (CNF/CNA), Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA), Karen National Union/Karen National Liberation Army-Peace Council (KNU/KNLA-PC), Mon National Liberation Army (NMSP/MNLA), Arakan Army (ULA/AA), Lahu Democratic Union (LDU), Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS/SSA), Arakan Liberation Party (ALP/ALA), Pa-O National Liberation Army (PNLO/PNLA), All Burma Students Democratic Front (ABSDF), National Unity Government (NUG)

Political Organization

Karen National Union (KNU)

History in Brief

Established – February 5, 1947

Headquarters – Law Khee Lar, Lay Wah

Areas of operation – Hpa-an, Hpapun, Kawkareik, Kyainseikgyi, Kyeikdon, Thandaung, Nyaunglebin, Taungoo, and Hlaingbwe Townships

Estimated strength – Over 15,000

Leaders – P’doh Saw Kweh Htoo Win (Chairperson), P’doh Saw Hser Ghay (Vice-Chairperson)

The KNU is the longest-standing Ethnic Armed Organization in Myanmar and was founded on February 5, 1947, by the Dawkalu Network, the Buddhist Karen National Association, the Karen Central Organization, and the Karen Youth Organization, which were at that time leading the Karen national movement.

The Karen people served in the British Army before Myanmar gained independence. They consistently demanded equal rights and statehood.

The first chairperson of the KNU was Saw San Po Thin, who was then succeeded by Saw Ba U Gyi. Saw Ba U Gyi formed the Karen National Defense Organization (KNDO) as the military wing of the KNU. The KNDO was later transformed into the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA). Although the KNLA is the main military wing of the KNU, the KNDO still exists as an auxiliary military wing to this day.

After Myanmar gained independence, the disdain of the central government for the Karen people’s demand for official recognition of the Karen State/Kawthoolei, combined with the killing of Karen civilians in armed clashes, escalated the Karen-Bamar conflict.

At that time, Saw Ba U Gyi established four principles as follows: 

1. Surrender is out of the question
2. The recognition of the Karen State must be completed
3. We shall retain our arms
4. We shall decide our own political destiny

Between 1949 and 2000, Myanmar’s most intense civil war action occurred in Karen State, where the KNU was active. The KNU also helped other ethnic groups to establish their own armed resistance forces.

In 1994, some commanders broke away from the KNU and formed the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA). A group led by Col. Saw Chit Thu transformed into the military-controlled Karen State Border Guard Force (BGF) in 2010, and another group led by Maj. Gen. Saw Lah Pwe formed the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA). In 1997, another group, led by Col. Thu Mu He from Brigade 6, broke away again and became the Karen Peace Force (KPF).

In 2007, a group led by Col. Saw Htay Maung was dismissed for conducting peace negotiations with the government without central-level KNU permission. As a result, the Karen National Union/Karen National Liberation Army-Peace Council (KNU/KNLA-PC) was formed.

Despite the fragmentation of armed resistance forces in Karen State, the KNU is still considered the parent organization and lead organization when discussing Karen national issues and remains influential.

On October 12, 2015, the Ministry of Home Affairs announced that the KNU had been deregistered for being an unlawful association. Three days later, on October 15, the KNU signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA).

The KNU, a signatory to the NCA with an important role in the peace process, has suspended participation in official peace process meetings due to disagreements with the government and military since the end of 2018. In addition, the KNU announced its withdrawal from the Peace Process Steering Team (PPST) at the five-day NCA-S-EAOs summit in May 2019. They also proposed the formation of a Peace Process Consultative Meeting (PPCM) that would include not only NCA signatories but also non-signatories and other political groups.

After the military coup in 2021, the KNU no longer continued to be involved in peace process discussions and is now focused solely on toppling the regime.

In 2022, following the coup, another group, led by Brig. Gen. Nerdah Mya, the former commander-in-chief of the KNDO who was dismissed from the KNU, broke away and formed the Kawthoolei Army (KTLA).

Mission and Objectives

Mission  

For the Karen people to have the identity and dignity of a nationality, to have peace, freedom, and full rights, and to develop and modernize.

Objectives

(1) To ensure that the Karen people enjoy national equality and the right to self-determination

(2) To establish the Karen State/the Kawthoolei State within relevant areas and with full self-determination

(3) To establish a federal union of states with democratic and self-determination rights

(4) To ensure that all ethnic groups, including the Karen people, enjoy full democratic rights in the Karen State and also in the Union

Leaders and Central Committee Members 

The KNU has a Central Standing Committee of 55 members, including the Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson, General Secretary, First and Second Joint General Secretaries, and Central Committee members, who are elected through secret ballots at congress meetings.

KNU

1	P’doh Saw Kweh Htoo Win	Chairperson
2	P’doh Saw Hser Gay	Vice Chairperson
3	P’doh Saw Tah Doh Moo	General Secretary
4	P’doh Saw Thaw Thi Bwe	First Joint General Secretary
5	P’doh Saw Hla Tun	Second Joint General Secretary
6	P’doh Naw Myne Poe	Chief Justice
7	P’doh Saw Ehklu Say	Central Committee Member
8	P’doh Saw Taw Nee	Central Committee Member
9	P’doh Mu Naw Dah Dah	Central Committee Member
10	P’doh Saw Law Eh Moo	Central Committee Member
11	Gen. Saw Johny	Central Committee Member
12	Brig. Gen. Saw Ta Mla Thaw	Central Committee Member

KNLA 

1	Gen. Saw Johnny	Commander-in-Chief
2	Maj. Gen. Saw Baw Kyaw Heh	Deputy Commander-in-Chief
3	Brig. Gen.Saw Soe Myint Htwe	Commander of Brigade 1
4	Brigadier General Saw Augustine	Commander of Brigade 2
5		Commander of Brigade 3
6	Lieutenant Colonel Saw Po Lay	Commander of Brigade 4
7	Brigadier General Saw Gi Nwi	Commander of Brigade 5
8	Colonel Saw Colt Htoo	Commander of Brigade 6
9	Colonel Saw Di Kwe Htoo	Commander of Brigade 7

KNDO 

1

Lieutenant Colonel Saw Shee Lay

Commander-in-Chief

The 17th KNU Central Congress was held from the 4^th to 5^th April 2023 at the Laywa Military Base, Brigade 7 of Hpa-an District, a liberated area in the border region.

Ceasefires and Peace Process Participation

State-level peace agreement – 12 January 2012

Union-level peace agreement – 7 April 2012

Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) – 15 October 2015

Organization Participation

The KNU is a member of the Peace Process Steering Team (PPST), a group formed by Ethnic Armed Organizations that are signatories to the NCA.

The KNU is also a member of the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC), which has been responsible for formulating policies and strategies for the National Unity Government (NUG) since the military coup.

Political and Military Stance since the Coup

On 2 February, the day after the military took power, the KNU issued a statement declaring that the military should unconditionally release all those detained and should endeavor to solve political problems in a peaceful way, and that the KNU would stand with all ethnic people for the formation of a federal union and a democratic transition.

The junta’s peace envoys offered to resume talks under the NCA, but the KNU did not continue to participate in the talks.

KNLA Brigades 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6 engaged in clashes with SAC forces, with Brigade 5 attacking and seizing some SAC frontline bases and military outposts on the Myanmar-Thailand border. The most intense fighting occurred in Mutraw District (Hpapun District) and Lay Kay Kaw Town, where the SAC carried out airstrikes. More than 250,000 Karen people have been displaced due to the fighting.

The KNU/KNLA has also had political discussions with the National Unity Government (NUG).

A top KNLA commander, P’doh Mann Mann, is the Chairperson of the National Health Committee (NHC), a joint committee of the Ministry of Health of the National Unity Government and ethnic health organizations (EHOs), and was also a focal person of the COVID-19 Task Force (CTF).

On 12 February 2022, KNU’s Dooplaya District Chairperson P’doh Saw Shwe Maung attended the 75th Union Day ceremony held by the State Administration Council (SAC) in Naypyitaw. Since March of that year, the SAC initiated military operations in Dooplaya District, where Brigade 6 is located, escalating military tensions.

Liaison Offices

1	Kyaukyi Town	Bago Region
2	Dawei Town	Tanintharyi Region
3	Hpa-an Town	Karen State
4	Payathonzu Town	Karen State
5	Myawaddy Town	Karen State
6	Thaton Town	Mon State

Business Offices

	Location	Established
1	Mawlamyine	22 November 2013
2	Hpa-an
3	Yangon

Brigades

The KNLA operates seven brigades, as follows:

No.	Brigade	Areas of operation
1	Brigade 1	Thaton District (Kyaikhto Township, Bilin Township, Thaton Township)
2	Brigade 2	Taungoo District (Than Daung Gyi Township, Tantabin Township, Leiktho Township, Yedashe Township, Oktwin Township, Taungoo Township)
3	Brigade 3	Nyaunglebin District (Kyaukyi Township, Shwe Kyin Township, Phyu Township, Kyauktagar Township, Nyaunglebin Township, Pyuntasa Township, Daik-U Township, Madauk Township)
4	Brigade 4	Dawei District (entire Tanintharyi Region)
5	Brigade 5	Mutraw (Hpapun) District (Hpapun Township)
6	Brigade 6	Dooplaya District (Kawkareik Township, Kyaingseikgyi Township, Ye Township, Thanbyuzayat Township, Mudon Township, Mawlamyine Township)
7	Brigade 7	Hpa-an District (Hlaingbwe Township, Hpa-an Township, and Nabu Town in Kawkareik Township)

These include 16 battalions and two special battalions, namely Central Special Battalion 201 and Central Special Battalion 202.

Note: Districts where the KNU/KNLA brigades are based and operate are those designated by the KNU/KNLA constitution and are not the same as those designated by the Myanmar government.

Contact Information

Website: http://www.knuhq.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/knuheadquartersofficial/
Email: [email protected]

Phone: P’doh Saw Kweh Htoo Win – 09422191941, +66818076279 

P’doh Saw Tah Doh Moo       –  09795887085, +66646459113 

P’doh Saw Hla Tun      – 09272732862, +66940351880 

P’doh Saw Kle Say –  +66649030340