Karen National Union (KNU) and the New Mon State Party (NMSP) officials reached an agreement that should prevent any further fighting between them at a meeting on 11 September.
The meeting was held at Yar Phoo Village in the Yar Phoo Village Group of Yebyu Township, Tanintharyi Region following a skirmish between the KNU and the NMSP near Thè Chaung Phyar Village of Kalain Aung sub-township in Yebyu Township on 8 September.
The KNU delegation to the meeting was led by the KNU Central Committee member Pado Mann Nyein Maung and the Myeik-Dawei District KNU chairman Pado Saw Sar Pi Tu.
The Dawei District NMSP chairman, Nai A Ka, led the NMSP delegation.
Pado Saw Sar Pi Tu said to KIC News: “During the meeting we reached an agreement to prevent such kinds of skirmishes from happening again between the two sides. We are currently stopping the issues from escalating.”
A liaison team made up of three representatives from each side was formed during the one-hour meeting. The team will be responsible for keeping both armed groups informed of the other’s troop movements and will take charge of any future issues that may arise.
The NMSP Home Affairs Department chief, Nai Win Hla, said to KIC: “It is a good sign that we have been able to form a liaison team to prevent the issues from growing after the accidents happened.”
Territorial disputes between the KNU and NMSP were not discussed at the meeting. Any such disputes will be submitted to the groups’ central branches so that they can have further discussions about them.
Reporting by S’Phan Shaung for KIC News
Translated by Thida Linn
Edited in English by Mark Inkey for BNI
