At casket of leader, KNU looks to an uncertain fate
The prominent figure's jungle funeral brought together Myanmar's opposition groups who urged the union to heal an internal rift for the sake of the pro-democracy movement
- Published: 21 Oct 2012 at 00.00
- Newspaper section: Spectrum
David Taw's untimely death last Sunday in a military hospital in Yangon may have finally brought peace to the Karen leader, but it leaves the political organisation he spent decades working for grappling with a divisive split that threatens to weaken and derail its ongoing peace talks with the Myanmar government.
MIGHTY FIGURE FALLEN: A KNLA soldier mourns in front of David Taw’s coffin. As many as 1,000 people travelled to pay their last respects at his funeral last week.
The potential of a crippling division unfurled less than two weeks ago when the Karen National Union (KNU) dismissed three of its leaders, including Taw, for defying KNU protocols by arranging political events and discussions with government delegates without approval.
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