On August 28, the State Security and Peace Commission (SSPC)’s Anti-Terrorism Central Committee designated the Karen National Union (KNU) as a “terrorist” organization. The SSPC accused the KNU of destroying roads and bridges using explosives, shelling towns and villages, deploying drone-borne explosives, and killing civilians, among other acts. This designation follows the August 26 KNU’s rejection of the SSPC-planned elections scheduled for December 28, though it remains unclear whether that announcement was the direct trigger for the designation. Other ethnic armed organizations (EAOs), such as the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP) and Chin National Front (CNF), have also called for opposing the polls without receiving similar designations.
Since the 2021 coup, the military administration has designated the Arakan Army (AA), Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), and the People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) as terrorist organizations. The new KNU designation may have implications for humanitarian organizations and civil society groups working in Kayin State.
Sections 38 and 39 of the 2022 Organization Registration Law for non-profits prohibit any registered organization from having direct or indirect contact with individuals or groups that support armed organizations or are listed as “terrorist organizations.” Noncompliance carries penalties including a fine of MMK 5 million (approx. 1,200 USD), up to five years’ imprisonment, or both. Violators may also have their registration revoked and their funds and assets confiscated. Organizations are therefore advised to strengthen their due diligence measures and compliance procedures.
Since the 2021 coup, the KNU has been one of the most active EAOs supporting anti-junta resistance efforts, training and launching joint operations with People Defense Forces (PDFs). Following the step down of Saw Mutu Say Poe, who was seen as conciliatory toward Naypyitaw and had previously advocated dialogue, from the chairman position in 2023, the KNU’s leadership appears more unified in its opposition to the military.
