An interview with Padoh Saw Tar Ni, head of the KNU’s foreign affairs department.
January 8th, 2022.
The government signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) with 10 Ethnic Armed Organizations (NCA) to solve armed conflicts through political dialogues. But, some processes included in the NCA have stalled as fighting is taking place between the military council troops and some NCA signatories.
The Development Media Group (DMG) interviewed Padoh Saw Tar Ni, head of the Foreign Affairs Department of the Karen National Union (KNU) which has signed the NCA about whether or not the NCA is void, who violated the NCA’s rules and what should the KNU proceed with the peace process.
Q: Recently, the military council said that it would take actions for security if the NCA is breached. May I know your view on it?
A: The military council chair himself signed the NCA as we all agreed to solve the political problem as a political culture. The military council itself has violated the NCA after staging the coup. The fact that the military council has accused us of violating the NCA is untrue. Under the current circumstance, the implementation of the NCA faces the problem. The military council especially failed to abide by the NCA. The main point is the military council has no desire to implement it. The military violates the basic principles of the NCA and fails to abide by seven all chapters. Now, we will not listen to the military’s talking about the NCA. We face a lot of problems. The NCA has totally stalled following the coup. There is no reason for the functioning of the NCA. Because the junta did not implement it properly although it had a better time. We will not accept it only when the military frequently talks about the NCA after the coup. The NCA is not void as it is a contract. The NCA remains unchanged. We have no reason to think about the NCA at present as the military constantly goes against the implementation of the NCA.
The purpose of signing the NCA is to amend, add and abolish the 2008 Constitution. But we have no reason to think about it after the coup. We have decided that we need to seek much better means to solve the country’s political problem. So, I told the news agencies that the NCA is similar to a palsied patient. It can not move at all. But it is still alive. I want to say that there is no hope.
Q: Why do the public and other EAOs have low trust in the NCA?
A: I have been constantly talking about the reason for low trust. Not only the NCA but also other agreements are certainly void if the parties included in the agreements fail to implement the pledges. It is not surprising that non-NCA signatories show no interest in NCA signing. It is common. This is my view.
Q: What are the main reasons for violating the NCA?
A: The reason for violating the NCA is that Chapter-3 and Chapter-4 of the NCA contained the facts to further cement the NCA. Both sides of the armed groups shall meet to discuss the ceasefire areas and the deployment of troops. Since the NCA signing in 2015, our efforts to do so have not materialized.
The KNU especially tried to meet them. But the military did not give us a chance to meet. The junta troops forcibly entered the Bridge-3 and Brigade-5-controlled territories citing the construction of roads. We cannot sit and see it. We have the self-defense principle. The resistance is growing when we cannot sit and see the invasion of the junta troops. Nothing will happen if they don’t enter our territory. These are the reasons for the violation of the NCA. The junta fails to abide by it. The military can construct the roads in the military-controlled areas as there are many spaces there.
Q: Some people said that the NCA has voided. You said we need to seek other means for the peace process instead of the NCA. What are other means?
A: We cannot agree in principle to the coup staged by the military by using the violence mean. So, we issued a statement showing opposition to the coup on February 2nd. On March 24th, our chair sent a letter to Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. We exactly called on the Tatmadaw to withdraw from politics and to declare the federal democracy. We issued the statements on June 30th and on the 6th Anniversary of the NCA signing. All our statements totally opposed the coup. We will cooperate with all those who defy the coup. We will accept them if they are in trouble. So, thousands of the dissidents have fled to our territory after the coup as Min Aung Hlaing ordered his troops to kill them. We cooperate with them. The junta troops fight back against us as they get angry.
Q: Can it be said that regarding the Lay Kay Kaw incident, the military carries out attacks for security reasons citing the violation of the NCA?
A: With regard to the Lay Kay Kaw incident, we accept and help those who face difficulties from the humanitarian point of view as much as we can. Those who fled to our territory are the ones who defy the military dictatorship. How strong their feelings will be as they had to flee for their lives. They want to fight back. So we teach them how to do self-defense. The junta assailed us citing that we accepted the dissidents. The junta troops inspected Lay Kay Kaw. In fact, this area is under the control of the KNU. Our brigades are present there even if we cannot fully control it. We are in position not to allow the entry of the junta troops into the KNU-controlled area.
But we want to maintain peace. The Lay Kay Kaw new town is built as a symbol of peace. We put up with it based on that point. The junta troops entered and inspected Lay Kay Kaw eight times. A lot of junta troops entered the town and arrested those to whom we gave protection. We fought back as we no longer put up with the destruction of houses. Intense fighting is taking place every day.
Q: Do you have anything to add about the NCA?
A: We tried our best for the NCA. The KNU puts up with the peace process to achieve peace. We put up with the military’s bully, deception and hegemony. At last, the military council pulls us into the war. I don’t want to comment on whether the NCA is void or not. We must proceed with our fight against the junta. We have the backing of the public. There is no reason to worry as the entire people stand with us.
Sent by Aung Htein (DMG)
