How the Karen became crucial to Myanmar’s anti-coup resistance

Whether training anti-coup activists or providing protection to those opposed to military rule, the KNU has emerged as the backbone of the Myanmar resistance [File: Independent photographer/Reuters]

When the Myanmar military seized power on February 1 last year, the country’s oldest major ethnic armed group, the Karen National Union, was also one of the first to condemn the coup.

“We cannot accept the military taking power and detaining the country’s leaders. This is a massive obstacle and challenge in transitioning to democracy,” the KNU said in a statement the day after the power grab, accusing the military of violating its own 2008 constitution.