Plans for a Karen National Union (KNU) led public discussion on state-level land policies has been scrapped after the Karen State government didn’t allow the event to happen.
A proposal to the state chief minister by the Karen Unity and Peace Committee (KUPC) to hold the discussion was rejected on 15 July.
Ashin Sandawara, a leader of KUPC, told the KIC News: “We were only helping the KNU. We won’t argue [with the government] since they won’t allow it. However, the reason [for blocking the discussion] is unsuitable at this time.”
A state-level official said the government is already managing land across the country in line with current land laws and regulations therefore it cannot allow the KNU to have separate discussions about land policies in Hpa-an, the administrative capital of the Karen State government.
KNU Joint Secretary (2) Pado Mann Mann Mann criticized the government for not be willing to negotiate with the armed group on land management.
The KNU amended their existing land policy in 2014 using the slogan ‘The Land Is Owned by the Public’. Their previous slogan in 1974 was: The Land is for the Local Residents.
Reporting by KIC News
Translated by Thida Linn
Edited by BNI staff
