Karen National Union/Karen National Liberation Army (KNU/KNLA), Karenni National Progressive Party/Karenni Army (KNPP/KA) and Chin National Front/Chin National Army (CNF/CAN) issued a joint statement on May 9 urging the State Administration Council (SAC) to hold meaningful negotiations that include the participation of all stakeholders.

In the statement, they said they had learned of the offer to enter peace discussions conveyed to the leaders of the ethnic resistance organizations by SAC chair Senior General Min Aung Hlaing via television broadcast on April 22, 2022.

They have consistently called for the resolution of the federal crisis through political negotiations, by political means. However, to pursue a resolution would require the inclusion of all stakeholders, as well as the participation of representatives of the United Nations and international community as mediators to ensure fairness and facilitate negotiations. Only through such political negotiation will the vision of establishing the federal union be attained. 

Therefore, the SAC needs to hold meaningful negotiations that include the participation of all stakeholders, and allow unfettered humanitarian access for international and local responders to deliver unrestricted assistance to all people affected by conflict and crisis, the statement pointed out.