June 16, 2013
by .. KNWO
June 16, 2013- - -MaeHongSon,
Thailand - Karenni National Women’s Organization KNWO, the lead women’s organization
along the border in MaeHongSon, Thailand announces the launchd of its first Karenni
All Women Convention- “Together as One” in Karenni State, Myanmar on June 19 - 21,
2013. ThoeMyar MiNyo, KNWO chairperson says that this first gathering would be
a good sign that Karenni women along the border of Thailand and Burma see Burma
government to seemingly open its door for the eventual return of Karenni people
after over two decades of taking sanctuary along the border. ThoeMyar MiNyo
elaborated that “Right now people in Burma are talking about peace and we are a
bit adamant about it that is why KNWO organized this gathering in order for us
to know and feel the situations inside Karenni state. It is also a forum for many
Karenni women, youth and men to share the political and socio-cultural and
women condition inside Karenni State and for the women along the border to
share their living condition and women situation along the border.”
This convention aims at gathering
people together as part of the peace building process. We will come up with
recommendations that we intend to submit to the government and perhaps the
international community to somehow put pressures for policy changes to protect
women and the children in Karenni State, ThoeMyar MiNyo added.
We hope that our convention runs
smoothly and that there will be no presence of any military in our convention,
we will maintain friendly relation and negotiate with the government of Burma
to allow us to have a peaceful gathering and talk of our future. In case that
there will be military presence in the convention, we really just hope that we
feel comfortable with the convention and no untoward incident will happen, we
only want peace, no pressures nor any threats.
The Convention will come up with
working mechanism and framework with women organizations and CBOs in Karenni
State as a foundation when KNWO finally works inside Burma. The Karenni Women
Convention will draw around 300 delegates from 4 townships, DeMawSho, Pruso,
Loikaw and SharDaw, the local government, representatives of international
organizations and Karenni refugees from MaeHongSon.
KNWO will hold press conferences in
MaeHongSon on June 16 and Dee Maw Sho on June 20.
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