38-554: [REDACTED] Karen National Union * [REDACTED] Karen National Liberation Army The All Burma Students' Democratic Front ( Burmese : မြန်မာနိုင်ငံလုံးဆိုင်ရာကျောင်းသားများဒီမိုကရက်တစ်တပ်ဦး ; abbreviated ABSDF or မကဒတ) is an opposition group in Myanmar (also known as Burma). It was founded on 1 November 1988, after the 8888 protests in Yangon . The group's leadership consists mostly of former student exiles. The ABSDF operates an armed wing , which has fought alongside other armed opposition groups in Myanmar, such as
76-673: A ceasefire with the Myanmar army and was granted business concessions at the expense of the KNU . The KNU and DKBA have since been in regular fighting, with the DKBA actively supported by the Myanmar army. The KNU's effectiveness was severely diminished after its headquarters were captured in the Fall of Manerplaw , near the Thai border, in 1995. The 12th KNU congress was held in 2000, the 13th KNU congress
114-547: A date to hold union-level political dialogue. In 1991–92, 35 ABSDF members died in custody in Kachin State . Fifteen of them were executed as spies on 12 February 1992, 20 others were tortured to death while undergoing interrogation. Another 80 members were also detained on similar charges. The killings were allegedly motivated by internal power struggles within the organisation. That incident has attracted growing attention in 2012 on social media sites, where former members of
152-699: A member of the National Unity Consultative Council . Following the coup, the KNU launched an investigation on Nerdah Bo Mya, a commander of the Karen National Defence Organisation (KNDO), the KNU's other main armed wing, for his role in the extrajudicial execution of 25 men. He refused to cooperate with the investigation and instead formed a splinter group, the Kawthoolei Army. The Kawthoolei Army has since banded with two resistance units,
190-418: Is at the forefront of the popular struggle for democracy and human rights in Myanmar; hence the name "All Burma Students’ Democratic Front". ABSDF's motto is born out of collective experiences: "Our Heads are Bloody But Unbowed". The ABSDF is a combatant in the civil war in Myanmar , which is a long-running conflict between government forces and opposing various armed factions. People who are struggling against
228-891: Is here that the President, vice-president, General Secretary, Joint Secretaries 1 and 2 and the Central Executive Committee (CEC), the Central Standing Committees (CSC) and candidate members are elected. The seven KNU districts are responsible for electing their own District Chairmen and District Standing Committee leaders every two years. As the District Chairmen and Brigade Commanders are elected at local levels, they are automatically appointed as Central Standing Committee Members. The District Chairmen and Brigade Commanders together with nominated District Standing Committee Members attend
266-623: The Kachin Independence Army and the Karen National Liberation Army . The objective of the group is to free the people of Myanmar from the oppression of the military, to create a democracy with political freedom and respect for human rights , to obtain nationwide peace, and to introduce a federal system in the country. The ABSDF elects its leadership democratically, with leaders of the organisation serving for three-year terms in accordance with
304-732: The Karen National Defence Organisation in their districts. The KNU launched its armed campaign against the Myanma government in early 1949. By the early 1950s, factions within Karen politics were influencing the strategic posture of the KNU. In 1953, Mahn Ba Zan and other KNU leaders established the Karen National Unity Party (KNUP), a communist-influenced group that supported a shift leftward in KNU politics. By 1960, KNUP members had become
342-536: The Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), that claims to represent the Karen people of Myanmar . It operates in mountainous eastern Myanmar and has underground networks in other areas of Myanmar where Karen people live as a minority group . Some of the Karen, led primarily by the Karen National Union (KNU), have waged a war against the central government since early 1949. The aim of the KNU at first
380-712: The Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) with the government of Myanmar, along with several other insurgent groups. In September 2016, KNLA fighters began clashing with members of the Mon National Liberation Army (MNLA), the armed wing of the New Mon State Party (NMSP), in the Tanintharyi Region . Both the KNU and NMSP were signatories of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) at the time of
418-592: The State Law and Order Restoration Council , the then-military regime, announced that it would hold a free and fair election. It encouraged the public to register political parties. However, at the same time, regime officials were suppressing political expression and opposition throughout the country. It was in this atmosphere that serious discussions and debates took place within the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU) to find ways to continue
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#1732786854965456-782: The World Federation of Democratic Youth . ABSDF had held two formal discussions and three informal gatherings with the government in 2012 and 2013. On 5 August 2013, the Kayin State government and ABSDF signed a state-level ceasefire agreement in Yangon . On 10 August, the Burmese government and ABSDF signed a 13-point preliminary ceasefire agreement. The agreement includes continuation of political dialogues to reach ceasefire agreement, formation of independent monitoring committee for ceasefire, opening of liaison offices, and setting
494-681: The ABSDF constitution. Its first leader was Htun Aung Gyaw, a leader in the December 1974 student protests following the U Thant funeral crisis . The following is the list of the organisation's current leaders who were elected in ABSDF's Eleventh Conference convened in September 2018, to serve for a three-year executive term. The Burmese military staged a coup d'état in September 1988, following its crackdown on peaceful demonstrations concerning democracy and human rights. Soon after seizing state power,
532-580: The All Burma Students’ Democratic Front (ABSDF) on the Myanmar-Thailand border. Thus, the formation of the ABSDF and its Student Army followed closely on ABFSU's decision. In other words, its formation was a strategic decision of the student movement inside Myanmar. To fulfill its aims and objectives, the ABSDF upholds the strategy of "armed struggle in combination with political activities". From 2001 to 20 December 2010 ABSDF
570-535: The CEC will call a CSC Emergency Meeting. Additionally, the Foreign Affairs Department appoints KNU representatives. These representatives are based among the Karen communities who support KNU's political goals and objectives in their respective countries. The incumbent leaders elected at the 15th KNU Congress are: Central Executive Committee Department heads: National Council of
608-417: The KNU congresses. In addition, elected Central Standing Committee members would provide the ministers for 14 Departments including Culture, Defence, Education, Forestry, Foreign Affairs, Health, and Mining. The CEC comprises eleven members responsible for the day-to-day running of the KNU. The CSC meets annually when issues arise that directly affect the KNU policies and/or the existence of the KNU organisation,
646-820: The KNU in Hpa-an , the capital of eastern Kayin State . Aung Min , the Railway Minister, and General Mutu Sae Poe of the KNU led the peace talks. In March 2012, a senior political leader of KNU, P'doh Mahn Nyein Maung , was found guilty of high treason under the Illegal Association Act, for his involvement with the Karen rebellion and sentenced to 20 years. He was freed soon afterward and sent back to Thailand. The Karen National Union held its 15th congress at Lay Wah on 26 November 2012. This meeting
684-603: The KNU trended leftward internally, its outward posture was complicated by the broader alignment of forces within Myanmar. Chinese support for the Communist Party of Burma – a rival of the KNU – led the organisation into a tacit understanding with the Kuomintang , which had been displaced into northern Myanmar following defeat in the Chinese Civil War . Ideological and strategic disagreement precipitated
722-504: The KNU was able to fund its activities by controlling black market trade across the border with Thailand , and through local taxation . After the failed 8888 Uprising of the Myanmar people in 1988, the Myanmar military government turned to China for help in consolidating its power. Various economic concessions were offered to China in exchange for weapons. The Myanmar Army was massively expanded and began to offer deals to groups fighting
760-676: The Karen National Unity Front (KNUF). This reconciliation paved the way both for Bo Mya's ultimate ascension to KNU presidency in 1976. By 1970, following KNUP military defeats in the Irrawaddy Delta, the KNU had become the dominant representative body for the Karen Movement. The 9th KNU congress was held in September 1974, and the 11th KNU congress was held in 1995. Bo Mya dominated the KNU leadership for three decades from 1976 to 2000. For many years,
798-888: The Myanmar-India border, and one camp spread over three separate locations on the Myanmar-China border. It also has foreign branches such as in the United States and Australia. The ABSDF is a member organisation of the National Council of the Union of Burma , an umbrella organisation of the border-based opposition. The ABSDF is also a member organisation of the Asian Students’ Association, the International Union of Students , and
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#1732786854965836-539: The Union of Burma The National Council of the Union of Burma ( Burmese : ပြည်ထောင်စုမြန်မာနိုင်ငံအမျိုးသားကောင်စီ ; pronounced [pjìdàʊɰ̃zṵ mjəmà nàɪɰ̃ŋàɰ̃ əmjóðá kàʊɰ̃sì] ) was an opposition organisation in Myanmar (Burma), composed of representatives of exiled political and ethnic groups. The organisation was formed on 22 September 1992 and aimed to achieve a democratic federal system in Burma. This political party- and liberalism-related article
874-607: The Venom Commando and the Lion Battalion, both of which had previously been supervised by the KNLA's Brigade 6. The group announced it will never enter into ceasefire talks with the military unless three conditions are met: The Karen National Union leadership is a democratically elected body with individuals elected at a four-yearly congress. The KNU Congress is recognised as the KNU's supreme legislative body and it
912-602: The breaking away of senior figure Tha Hmwe in April 1963, with approximately 400 men, to found the Karen Revolutionary Council (KRC). The KRC was wound-up following Tha Hmwe's capture in 1964. In KNU-controlled territory along the Thai border, a more successful reaction against the KNUP influence within the KNU took place. These areas, at some distance from KNUP strength in the Irrawaddy Delta, had come under
950-470: The consent of the government. The conference resulted in the formation of a 13-member Nationwide Ceasefire Coordinating Team (NCCT) and the signing of an "11-Point Common Position of Ethnic Resistance Organisations on Nationwide Ceasefire" or the Laiza Agreement. The NCCT's current mandate was to take responsibility on writing the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement based on mutual understanding between
988-629: The different armed groups in the NCCT. At the Law Khee Lah Conference, it was agreed that the NCCT had the mandate to discuss and change the document technically, except at the policy level. When the final document was ready, the respective ethnic organisation leaders decided and discussed with the Union Peacemaking Working Committee (UPWC) on the nationwide ceasefire. On 15 October 2015, the KNU signed
1026-485: The dominant figures within KNU structures, despite the KNUP being a "minority" tendency within Karen politics, as described by Paul D. Kenny . The KNUP was strongest in the Irrawaddy Delta . Under KNUP influence, the KNU was centralised, the KNLA was reorganised along Maoist lines, and agricultural cooperatives were created in some KNU-controlled villages. By 1963, the KNU numbered approximately 10,000. As
1064-520: The fighting. A temporary bilateral truce was reached between the two groups on 14 March 2018. Tensions between the KNU and the Tatmadaw increased as unrest swept the country following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état . On 27 March 2021, KNU Brigade 5 overran a Myanmar Army base near the Thai border, killing ten soldiers including a deputy battalion commander. The Myanmar army launched multiple airstrikes on Karen villages in retaliation. In 2021, KNU became
1102-580: The government. The groups were offered the choice of co-operating with the military junta or being destroyed. In 1994, a group of Buddhist soldiers in the KNLA, citing discrimination by the KNU's overwhelmingly Christian leadership against the Buddhist Karen majority, broke away and established the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA). They were led by U Thuzana , an influential Karen monk. The DKBA quickly agreed to
1140-477: The military dictatorship to overthrow it constitute not a single stratum but a cross-section of all people regardless of social class, gender, ethnic origin, religion, education, and political ideology. Based on that ideology, the ABSDF believes in national politics and applies it as a political strategy. The ABSDF holds seven camps on the Myanmar–Thailand border, one camp spread over three separate locations on
1178-454: The struggle. Finally, leaders of the ABFSU reached a decision: the struggle would consist of three practical strategies: Maintaining semi-underground networks, forming a political party, and taking up arms. To pursue this decision, thousands of people, mostly students, youth, and intellectuals, left for the border areas near Thailand, India, China, and Bangladesh. On 1 November 1988, they founded
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1216-503: The student army and their families claim no one has yet been held accountable. Naing Aung, who was the chairman of the ABSDF Southern Myanmar at the time, has denied the allegations and said that he is ready to co-operate with any inquiry into the incident. Karen National Union The Karen National Union ( Burmese : ကရင် အမျိုးသား အစည်းအရုံး ; abbreviated KNU ) is a political organisation with an armed wing,
1254-614: The sway of S'gaw Karen figures, especially commanders Shwe Hser and Bo Mya . In 1966, Bo Mya – then head of the Karen Armed Force's Eastern Division – seized control of the Dawna Range and much of the Thai border region and ordered KNUP cadres to leave his territory. Bo Mya was able to maintain an army approximately 10,000 men by taxing illegal trade along the border with Thailand. In 1967, Mahn Ba Zan and four other senior KNUP officials reconciled with Bo Mya, forming
1292-581: Was held at a pivotal moment in the KNU's history, as it occurred at a time of political in-fighting in regards to how the KNU should negotiate a ceasefire agreement with the Myanmar government. From 30 October to 2 November 2013, an unprecedented meeting took place at the Kachin Independence Organisation headquarters in Laiza . For the first time, representatives of 17 armed ethnic opposition groups were able to meet in Myanmar with
1330-460: Was held from 12 to 16 December 2005, and the 14th KNU congress was held from 6 to 20 October 2008. Padoh Mahn Sha La Phan, the secretary-general of the union was shot dead in his home in Mae Sot , Thailand, on 14 February 2008, possibly by soldiers of the DKBA. In 2009, the KNU's fighting force was reduced to around 3000 to 5000 soldiers, and on 25 June 2009 the KNLA's Brigade 7 headquarters
1368-636: Was independence. Since 1976 the armed group has called for a federal system rather than an independent Karen State. The Karen conflict is the second longest internal war in the world after the Dagohoy rebellion in the Philippines, having been waged for 85 years until 1829. The KNU was founded in 1947. Following Myanmar's independence in January 1948, KNU leaders instructed local organisers to establish local defence militias, collectively grouped under
1406-506: Was on the US terror list. The ABSDF is an organisation representing all students and social classes throughout Myanmar in their struggle to achieve democracy and human rights. The students of Myanmar were recognised as the leading force fighting against the dictatorial military regime, and the Front indiscriminately counts all Burmese ethnic nationalities and classes among their membership. The ABSDF
1444-635: Was overrun. On 2 November 2010, the Karen National Union became a member of an alliance which included the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), the Chin National Front (CNF), the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO), the New Mon State Party (NMSP) and the Shan State Army North (SSA-N). In January 2012, Myanmar's military-backed civilian government signed a ceasefire deal with
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