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It has been almost fifty years of civil war which began since Burma gained her independence in 1948. This civil war has continued through this long period because of two enormous basic political problems concerning: ethnicity / the different ethnic peoples, and democracy / the democratic principles for the entire population of the country, that have failed to be resolved by peaceful, political means.
From the time it was organized in 1947, the KNU (Karen National Union) has never desired to solve problems through the military method. During the demonstration of more than 400,000 Karen people on February 11, 1948, the Karens emphatically expressed their strong emotion against internecine strife by proclaiming loudly the slogan "(we) Don't Want Civil War". Simultaneously declared was the desirability to seek fair, just and peaceful solution to political problems. However, when the KNU and the Karen people were provoked and attacked by force, in order to defend themselves, and with whatever available weaponry, they had to resort to (taking part in) the unavoidable revolutionary war.
In any event, endeavors have been made throughout this time to solve the country's political problems through nonviolent, political means. After the SLORC military took power in 1988, the combined efforts of KNU together with other ethnic groups and powerful democratic forces to resolve political problems by civil and peaceful means have been in vain.
By December 1995, the beginning of conferences between the KNU and SLORC was made possible through the striving/toiling of those committed to peaceable process. Unfortunately, when the fourth meeting ended, the then prevailing mutual cease-fire agreement was unilaterally broken off by SLORC which, on the first week of February, 1997, started an intensive military operation, thereby resuming hostilities, and effectively discontinued and destroyed the peace negotiations.
While conducting violent and ruthless military operations against the KNU and Karen villages, SLORC maliciously implied that the KNU was responsible for the breakdown of talks, and it was the KNU that made unreasonable demands during the conference. From their vantage point, propaganda is carried on through their radio and television stations, making calumnious statements, and creating suspicion and misunderstanding against the KNU.
It is hoped that through this clarification document, keeping in forefront the just and best interests of the Karens and all the ethnic nationalities, the actual, truthful proceedings during these negotiations that the KNU had participated with much liberal attitude, would be, to some extent, made known to all the people of the country. It is also hoped that the Karens and all the different ethnic peoples in the country are able to differentiate between right and wrong, and can faithfully hold on to truth and justice.
General Saw Bo Mya President The Karen Nations Union (KNU)
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