Karenni Army

The Karenni Army (Burmese: ကရင်နီ တပ်မတော်; sometimes abbreviated KA) is the military branch of the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), which campaigns for the self-determination of the Karenni people of Burma.

On 7 March 2012, the Burmese government signed a ceasefire agreement with the KNPP, in the presence of international observers from the UN High Commission for Refugees, British Council and the American embassy. A similar ceasefire deal was signed in 1995, but it was dissolved within three months.

History

The British government recognised and guaranteed the independence of the Karenni States in an 1875 treaty with Burmese King Mindon Min, by which both parties recognised the area as belonging neither to Konbaung Burma nor to Great Britain. Consequently, the Karenni States were never fully incorporated into British Burma. The Karenni States were recognised as tributary to British Burma in 1892, when their rulers agreed to accept a stipend from the British government.