The government’s Peace Making Work Committee and a Karen National Union delegation met in the Burmese border town of Myawaddy in eastern Karen state on Sunday to discuss an upcoming meeting later this month.
The preliminary talks were held at the Burmese Army’s 275th Light Infantry Battalion’s offices based in Myawaddy and were attended by a six-person delegation from the KNU led by the group’s general-secretary Naw Zipporah Sein, while Railway Minister Aung Min spearheaded the government’s team.
“[The meeting] followed up on the topics discussed in the second meeting in preparation for the third meeting and focused on the withdrawal of troops,” said Naw May Oo, KNU.
“Also, we had an extensive discussion on regulations for armed personnel on both sides.”
After fighting with government forces for more than 60 years, the KNU held its first round of talks with union officials in early January and agreed to a four-point deal, including a ceasefire, opening liaison offices, establishing freedom of movement without weapons, and agreeing to hold further talks at the union-level.
On 4 March, the group sent a delegation into interior Burma for union-level peace talks and reached an agreement to set up liaison offices in Pegu division’s Kyaukgyi and Tenasserim division’s Myeik (Mergui).