Karen People Worldwide Call for Peace on International Peace Day

Karen people around the world have come together in support of recent statement made by the Karen National Union, to call for peace in Burma on the World Peace Day on 21st of September.

For so many decades, the Karen people have been targeted for planned, widespread and systematic attacks by the ruling regimes which have forced hundreds of thousands of Karen civilians into hiding, refugee camps and to other countries. The dictatorship continues to target civilians in their military operations in Karen State , which are in breach of the Geneva Conventions, and which requires immediate international action.

Karen communities worldwide support the Karen National Union for defending the Karen people and finding ways to look after the wellbeing of the Karen people. The KNU has always called for dialogue with the ruling regime in line with the call from international community including United Nations, European Union and USA to solve the problems by political means. However, the dictatorship ignores this call and continues its military offensives against the Karen people.

It’s time for international community to put effective pressure on Burma ’s dictatorship to end all it’s military operations against the Karen and other ethnic civilians, and enter into political dialogue with genuine representatives from ethnic groups and democracy forces as mandated by the UN General Assembly.

“We welcome the Karen National Union's decision to take this concrete first step towards peace with Burma ’s dictatorship on this special occasion of International Day of Peace. The international community must support the Karen National Union to put pressure on the regime to stop attacking innocent, unarmed Karen civilians” said Stephen Dun, board member of Karen American Communities Foundation.

The Karen communities worldwide desire genuine democracy, peace and national reconciliation, to rebuild our homeland and our dreams for a peaceful federal democratic Union of Burma.

For more information please contact Stephen Dun, board member of Karen American Communities Foundation on +1 2062958553 (USA) or Saw Lwin Oo, National President of Australia Karen Organisation on +61 4123 44009 (Australia).