On September 28, three Karen armed groups issued a joint statement declaring that they would work together to ensure that local people can freely and safely participate in the elections without suffering harm or losses.

The announcement followed a meeting of senior leaders from Karen ethnic armed organizations, held on September 28 at the headquarters of Border Guard Force (Karen State) Battalion No. (2). Leaders from the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA), the Karen State Border Guard Force (BGF), and the Karen National Union/Karen National Liberation Army–Peace Council (KNU/KNLA-PC) attended the meeting, where they held serious discussions about the future of Karen (Kayin) State and its people before issuing the joint statement.

According to the statement, after reviewing the current military and political situation in Karen State, the leaders agreed that Myanmar’s multi-party democratic general election, scheduled for December 2025 and January 2026, could help resolve ongoing nationwide conflicts by establishing a democratically elected civilian government. They emphasized that such a government would promote peace, stability, and development across the country, while also bringing stability and security to the lives of the Karen people.

The statement stressed that local people’s participation in the upcoming elections should be respected as their free choice, in line with democratic standards and values. The groups pledged to cooperate in ensuring that citizens can vote freely and without harm, and affirmed their full commitment to working together so that the people may achieve peaceful and stable lives under a multi-party democratic system.