Burma

DKBA Brigade 5 Reaches Ceasefire with Naypyidaw

By SAW YAN NAING Friday, November 4, 2011

DKBA Brigade 5 leaders, including Brig-Gen Saw Lah Pwe (black shirt), pose for a photograph at a base in eastern Burma. (Photo: The Irrawaddy)

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The Democratic Karen Buddhist Army’s (DKBA) Brigade 5 reached a ceasefire agreement with a Burmese government delegation on Thursday, said the DKBA Brigade 5 leader, Brig-Gen Saw Lah Pwe.

Saw Lah Pwe told The Irrawaddy on Friday that he signed a ceasefire agreement with a Burmese delegation on Thursday. He said that fighting had stopped and some government troops that previously were deployed on the frontlines had begun to withdraw from areas controlled by DKBA Brigade 5.

“I think they really want to make a ceasefire with us at this moment. Some of the representatives are Burmese officials from Naypyidaw,” said Saw Lah Pwe.

He said that the official statement about the ceasefire agreement with the Burmese authorities will be announced on Nov. 6 and DKBA Brigade 5 will reopen its headquarters in Sone Seen Myaing, Myawaddy Township.

DKBA Brigade 5, which has an estimated 1,500 troops, split with the DKBA, which has an estimated 6,000 troops, and restarted armed conflict with government troops in 2010 when the Burmese military attempted to force the DKBA to join its Border Guard Force. Then on Nov 7, 2010, DKBA Brigade 5 temporarily took control of several government buildings in the town of Myawaddy on the Thai border and the fighting that followed forced over 20,000 people to flee to Thailand.

The renewed hostilities between DKBA Brigade 5 and government troops broke a 15-year-old ceasefire agreement between the DKBA and Burma’s previous military regime, which was signed in 1995.

The DKBA, with the exception of Brigade 5, previously agreed to join the BGF. However, despite the ceasefire, Brigade 5 is no longer being asked to join.

The ceasefire agreement between DKBA Brigade 5 and the Naypyidaw delegation was reached after several previous meetings failed to produce an agreement.

Meanwhile, other government delegations have separately approached other ethnic armed groups such as the Karen National Union, Shan State Army – South and New Mon State Party for peace talks. Some of them have met with the government delegations, but no agreements have been reached thus far.

COMMENTS (16)

Saw Brindley Wrote:

11/11/2011

The Burmese Army used voodoo which means
aut lan. Let's wait and see who will die first
among these six leaders.

Pargayaw Wrote:

10/11/2011

It is a step backward to strike forward. Since the KNU is still blabling and has no clear intention of its wonder-politics, I say DKBA choose the right path. KNU is old with leadership and function with incompetence, the chance to achieve is less than 10%..........................KNU should be blamed for being unable to embrace DKBA when it had a chance. Instead of building a stronger unity for the Karen but it chose to remain its boring international politics which is appeasing to the lady all the time.
Good luck, KNU leaders! It is better if you resign from your posts and let the young generation step in your role.

Mr. Moses Wrote:

10/11/2011

Don't forget how you have been struggle for justice.

Mr. Moses Wrote:

10/11/2011

I would like to say DKBA only one thing that "Don't forget who you are." I do believe you would do choice the best for all.

Dan BW Wrote:

10/11/2011

Those groups who signed cease-fire or so called peace agreement without political dialogue are like a Burmese saying, "Khoi mi kaug kyi daug sut". They don't learn from history. If Thein Sein government is not willing to talk political dialogue with all ethnic nationalities as a whole, then anything else is just a lie to divide and rule. No real peace will prevail. They offer cease-fire without political solution to all armed ethnic groups except the Kachin because they want to root out KIA first. Then, they will try to eliminate one by one. Listen All Ethnic People! If you are united as one under UNFC, you won't survive in this game.

Saw Nay Wrote:

08/11/2011

DKBA, what!!!, cease fire again with SPDC, and betrayed KNU again? if u say cease fire is good, can u guarantee the right for Karen people to represent their identity before the world? the right to teach Karen language in Burma? the right to preserved Karen culture? the right to learn freely? the right to celebrate Karen important day freely? the right to speak up that we are Karen? why DKBA think only for themselves. look Myanmar patriot say "bury Panglong", this is how Burman will eliminate the ethnic people.

Mualcin Wrote:

07/11/2011

I hope KNU is not forgotten.

Saw Brindley Wrote:

06/11/2011

Since DKBA is signing Peace Agreement with the Burmese Government, they are promoting
to help Burmese Government to commit atrocity against all ethnic minority.

Saw Brindley Wrote:

06/11/2011

Saw Ler Pwe is thinking only for DKBA. Not the whole situation in Burma. He is a leader of DKBA. DKBA alone cannot stand a chance with Burmese Troops. Now he signed peace with the Burmese Government. The next time in the future he will have to go back to KNLA to join forces again. Either to protect his skin or under the pretense of to protect his people.

Saw Brindley Wrote:

06/11/2011

DKBA needs to think deeply regarding cease fire agreement wiht Burmese government. The Burmese Government is thinking how to dominate ethnic people, not how to dominate individual ethnic people. Now the troops fighting against with DKBA will be moved to
Kachin State. After they subdued kachin army
the next is DKBA. They can never subdued KNLA as well as Shan State Army. When DKBA needs help KNLA is ready to help them. But When all ethnic groups needs to help each other where is DKBA? But KNLA is any time to help his Karen People.

Bagyi Wrote:

06/11/2011

DKBA made decision after the villagers asked them to grab the opportunity of peace but not let them to surrender. It may be a good example as --
(1) Peace is important for the local peoples
(2) The troops can start shooting by one sided decision when they think that Government disrespect the peace agreement as the peace agreement is not witnessed by any third party.
(3)Under the peace, the lost of lives can be avoided, also can earn some money and wealth for all.
(4) UNFC can be strengthened more effectively under the peace rather than under the waring situation.
(7)Foreign powers will never involve seriously in Myanmar issues as they can not expect much profits not like in Iraq and Kuwait, Libya with oils.
Under the present deals, there are no call for surrender, no call for BGF, so, good to consider the offers.

Wallace Hla Wrote:

05/11/2011

With the signing of the cease-fire between DKBA Brigade 5 and the Burmese military forces, I see dark days ahead for the entire Karen population who has been fighting for more than half a century for their rights and freedom from oppressive Burmese military rule. By nature, the Karens are known to be peace-loving, kind and simple to the verge of being naïve. There’s no doubt that Brigade 5 must have been offered favorable concessions but for how long? Doesn’t history teach them to be cautious and wary of the kind of people they’re dealing with? I’m glad that Brigade 5 is but just a break-away fraction and doesn’t represent the whole Karen Nation. Otherwise, there’ll be no more Karens alive on the face of the earth, especially in Burma.

Kyaw Wrote:

05/11/2011

Your agreements with the politically unimportant drug warlords and bandits tarnish only your face. Without the peace talks with UNFC, no way you will find peace. Thein Sein becomes a God Father of PLA Proxy Drug Kingpins and three pagoda pass bandits. No more than that.

Moe Aung Wrote:

05/11/2011

One more in the bag. How long will this last? There still exists a BGF-nonBGF split. Control of territory, the border and revenues to be settled between them, with the govt the final arbiter?

hkunsam Wrote:

05/11/2011

ya Burmese Army really want to ceasefire with DKBA now because they need to eliminate KIA. Why can't we have a nationwide ceasefire, and why can't we have a political dialogue together for creating federal democratic constitution? Why don't we want to discuss all together when all arms groups' goals are the same federal democracy? Can we forget about ethnics in the political transition process? I don't think so.

Myanmar Patriots Wrote:

05/11/2011

Well done! Congratulations. Welcome, our brothers. Peace is good for all of us. You are equal to every brethren. Everyone is equal to everyone else. You can travel freely anywhere in Burma. Let us not be separated. Let us be united. Let us bury Panglong. Let let all pay to Lord Buddha.

Thardu, thardu.