Norway’s deputy FM to visit displaced Karen people
Norway’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Torgeir Larsen, will lead a delegation to the Bago regional town of Kyauk Kyi to meet with internally displaced Karen people today. A number of local Karen National Union sources confirmed to Karen News that the visit will take place today.
“They will leave from Yangon on Tuesday morning. The Myanmar government’s Immigration Minister, Khin Yee and the Karen National Union’s, Colonel U Htoo Htoo Lay will accompany Norway’s deputy foreign affairs minister on his trip.”
According to a KNU source, the delegations will look at the possibility of building villages for displaced people in the area and also discuss the issuing of identity cards for those people who currently don’t have them.
The KNU general secretary, Naw Zipporah Sein, spoke to Karen News.
“He [Torgeir Larsen] will first study the IDP situation in the area and later he will look at how his country will be able to help the displaced people.”
Naw Zipporah Sein explained that the detailed plans for helping the displaced people in the region would be coordinated by the Committee for Internally Displaced Karen People and a Norwegian project team. It is planned for the team to work together to organize support, food, building materials and agricultural help for the displaced people in the Kyauk Kyi area.
The KNU has opened three liaisons offices in Burma – Kyauk Kyi Town, Tavoy Town in the Tanintharyi region and Three Pagoda Town. The offices were opened to help the ongoing peace process between the government and the KNU.
Following his trip to Kyauk Kyi, Norway’s deputy foreign minister Mr Torgeir Larsen will hold a panel discussion with aid organisations, community based groups and reporters in Chiang Mai on 30th May about Norway’s government support of Burma’s peace building.
