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Myanmar

Myanmar: No peace talks until military stops violence, says KNU

Nem Davies

The Karen National Union has ruled out the possibility of peace talks with the Burmese military despite an unofficial offer for dialogue, saying the State Peace and Development Council needed to first stop attacking Karen civilians.

David Taw, head of the KNU's foreign affairs department, told Mizzima today that while personnel Lieutenant colonel Mya Htun Oo had offered peace talks to leaders at one of the rebel group's brigade on the Thai-Burma border on Friday, no agreements would be made until the military stopped their offensives in Karen State.

"Over 20,000 ethnic Karen civilians have been forced to leave their villages and seek shelter in the jungle and in the border areas due to the recent offensive attack," David Taw said.

He also said that the visit by Mya Htun Oo was not acceptable since it had not been officially sanctioned by authorities in Nay Pyi Daw.

"It is just fake offer by the SPDC, their words and deeds always contradict each other . . . we have experienced this before," David Taw said.

The KNU has also rejected the military's offer to allow general Bo Mya, who suffers from severe diabetes, to receive medical treatment in Rangoon.