Articles

A labor activist was jailed for seven years and six months, after being falsely accused of illegally cutting down trees, Burma Campaign UK, a human rights group that focuses on Burma, said. Myint Soe was arrested in March and sentenced to prison after being accused of cutting down eucalyptus trees on land owned by a paper company named Shwe Than…

Myint Kanpon residents aim to increase the numbers of teachers at the government primary school in Myint Kanpon, Dawei Township, Tenasserim Division. Saw Chit Chit, a Myint Kanpon villager, explains. “In our village, there is only one teacher that is nominated by the Government. Two more teachers are nominated by the village and paid for by subsidies of 50,000 kyat…

Land confiscation of property belonging to villagers by developers and government officials in Tenasserim Division has become a complicated issue for the Karen National Union (KNU) during its peace-building process with the Burma government. Ber Baw Lor, a Karen village in southern Burma, is an example where the entire population was displaced, and its residents now living in a makeshift…

Saw Hlaing Myo, a chairman of the Karen Youth Organization’s (Korea) based in South Korea has been accused of working illegally and arrested by the Korean government. Local sources confirmed Saw Hlaing Myo is been detained at Incheon’s Immigration Department, Incheon State. The secretary of KYO [Sth Korea], Saket Netmoe, said Saw Hlaing Myo Thein was seeking for political asylum…

The dance group from the Overseas Karen Refugee’s Social Organization (OKRSO) based in Bangkok, are honoured to be included in a ceremony that pays respect to His Majesty, King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. The Overseas Karen Refugee’s Social Organization literature and culture committee chairman, Saw Satepalong said its dance troupe performed the Karen traditional Done dance at Central World Hall…

Karen National Union, Ler Mu Lah Township leaders warn that there is a risk of a division between the local people and the KNU if the organizations district or central leaders allow the construction of the Tenasserim Dam, in Southern Burma. Saw Thein Su, the KNU leader for Ler Mu Lah Township told Karen News. “The KNU’s Ler Mu Lah…

For the first time since 1974 the Burma government has met with the Karen Refugee Committee in Hpa-an Town. The government put forward its plan to KRC that they wanted to ‘trial a pilot project’ to take back about 50 refugees households who are now living in camps on the Thai Burma border. On April 26, over 30 members of…

Myaing Gyi Ngu villagers have fled fighting between the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army and the government-controlled militia, the Border Guard Force (BGF). A Myaing Gyi Ngu resident said that the fighting started on April 27 and forced villagers from Shwe Nardar Myaing, Pidouk Myaing, Ninsi Myaing, and Ziza Wah Myaing to take refuge to safety in nearby villages that were…

Along the muddy river bank hundreds of men pack down under small plastic sheets to avoid the direct sun and to take respite from the 38 degree heat. The men cram into the small bamboo shops beside the muddy river. The valley and river littered with generators and large hoses that the miners use in their hunt for gold. It…

Karen National Union (KNU) officers, in Ler Mu Lah Township, have imposed restrictions on alcohol sales from May 1 to the thousands of gold miners who come to the area prospecting for gold. KNU officials have put in the alcohol restrictions in an attempt to prevent problems between miners and local and in an effort to maintain Karen traditional values.…