SUMMARY
KNU (Karen National Union) was an insurgent organisation in Burma/Myanmar with the aim of creating a Karen state with the right to self-determination, either through the proclaimed independent state of Kawthoolei or as an autonomous region.
KNU was created in 1966 as KNUP’s “Eastern Division” – led by Bo Mya – decided to leave the KNUP organization and initiate its own independent activities. Bo Mya motivated the split by claiming that he sought to procure weapons from non-communist “foreign” backers; KNUP was at the time closely allied to the Communist Party of Myanmar (CPB). Bo Mya’s group initially called itself the Karen National Liberation Council (KNLC), before eventually adopting the name KNU in 1968. Reflecting the complex and fluent nature of Myanmar’s armed factions, “KNU” had also been the original name used by KNUP until 1953, when the group reorganized itself. It should thus be noted that Bo Mya’s KNU was not the same groups as the “original KNU” according to UCDP definitions; instead, KNUP was treated as a direct continuation of the “original” KNU. Adding to this already complex situation, in 1975, KNUP dissolved itself and rejoined Bo Mya’s KNU, which had grown to become the more powerful Karen insurgent group. During most of this time of political factionalism, the military wing continued to act jointly under the name KNUF (Karen National United Front). KNU and its different factions have also participated in several military and political alliances against the government, including NDF (National Democratic Front) since 1976, DAB (Democratic Alliance of Burma) since 1988, and a founding member of NCGUB (National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma) which was established in 1990.
The military wing of KNU is called KNLA (Karen National Liberation Army) since 1966, but it has previously been known under different names. Immediately after formation, KNU started organising local militias under the name KNDO (Karen National Defence Organisation). After the outbreak of fighting and the proclamation of an independent Karen state in 1949, these merged with mutineers of the Burma army into KAF (Kawthoolei Armed Forces), which was renamed by KNUP as KPLA (Kawthoolei People’s Liberation Army).
KNU has consistently have been able to move across the border into Thailand, and has repeatedly been accused by the government of receiving foreign support. During several decades, the group did receive training and weaponry by the Thai military but this support was officially withdrawn during the 1990s. The borders between the two countries have been poorly supervised and KNU has controlled much of the illegal trade. KNU has traditionally maintained close cooperation with several other rebel groups in adjoining territories, in particular the forces of ethnic Mon, Pa-O and Karenni anti-government groups.
During the early years of the organization, and the political split between the delta and eastern regions, there were several prominent KNU leaders. Following numerous defections from the organisation during a government amnesty in 1963, the leadership of the eastern faction was transferred to Bo Mya who eventually became the chairman of the organisation until 2000, after which he also served four years as vice-chairman. The chairmanship of KNU passed in 2000 to Pado Saw Ba Thin.
KNU has been involved in the intrastate, non-state and one-sided categories of UCDP organised violence.
