On August 9th, 2019, the Karen National Union (KNU) announced they will now rejoin in the implementation of the national peace process.  

According to their press release, the KNU had temporarily withdrawn from a peace process meeting held on November 5, 2018, but has since held informal meetings to overcome difficulties and obstructions within the peace process. Now the Karen National Union will again be fully present in the discussions and will cooperate with stakeholders involved in the peace discussion under the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA).

“As for KNU, we will follow the NCA path and put more effort into cooperating in from the implementation to the achievement of the peace process. We have to notify one and another if disruptions got into the NCA path during the peace-building period. We regard the peace process as the common goal of all ethnic groups to establish Federal Union. with the cooperation from every ethnic revolutionary group and the people, we will work toward the implementation of the peace process,” said Padoh Ta Doh Moo, a Secretary-General of the KNU.

Following the KNU 16th Congress, the 3rd meeting [first session] of the Central Permanent Committee to place from July 22 to August 9th, 2019 in the Lah-Wa area, Hpa An District of Karen State. The KNU statement indicated this is where discussions took place regarding plans to overcome obstacles in the peace process through political dialogue.

Of the 55 executive committees of the KNU, 45 committee members as well as special invited leaders presented at the meeting.