business

An alliance of Karen community base organizations claim Chinese and Thai investment in the Hatgyi dam could undermine the ongoing peace negotiations between the Karen National Union (KNU) and the Burma government, destroying the Karen peoples’ fragile hope for peace. Saw Paul, director of the coalition for sustainable rivers development, the Karen Rivers Watch (KRW) said. “At this fragile stage…

A Karen leader warns that the Burma government’s offers of ‘business opportunities’ to the various Karen and other ethnic armed factions in territory controlled by the Karen National Union will create conflict and fuel tension. A government newspaper, *Kyaymon*, reported that a breakaway group known as the KNU/KNLA Peace Council signed an initial seven-point agreement on 6thFebruary in the country’s…

Salt producers in Mon State say they are facing heavy financial losses this year as salt prices plummet to below 50kyat a viss (a viss is equal to about one and a half kilogram). Salt producers told Karen News that he had to invest 70kyat a viss salt but the market price has dropped suddenly to 50kyat in recent. A…

Today, five of Thailand’s senior ministers will meet in Dawei with their Burmese counterparts to support the Burma government’s push to attract foreign investment for mega development projects to the country. The Thai ministers of foreign affairs, energy, transport, industry and finance will attend the Dawei meeting, organized by Burma’s President, Thein Sein, to highlight Thai investment in Burma. Burmese…

The Karen National Union is considering allowing the Italian-Thai Development Company to build a road linking Burma’s Tavoy Special Economic Zone to Thailand after a meeting between the KNU and company representatives on December 28. Saw Kwe Htoo Win, KNU chairman of the Mergui-Tavoy District and the KNU’s representative in meetings with the Italian-Thai explained to Karen News. “The company…

The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in a press statement released yesterday said he was encouraged by a meeting on 19 August between President Thein Sein and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the banned national League for Democracy. The meeting between the Ms Suu Kyi and President Thein Sein was the second in recent weeks. It came about…

The Karen National Union has issued a warning to rogue companies operating in Karen areas that if they exploit local people, destroy the environment they will be forced to leave and take their business elsewhere. The KNU’s general secretary, Naw Zipporah Sein, said. “Any company that does not get KNU official permission and confiscates land belonging to villagers will be…

Mr Samart Loifah, the governor of Tak Province, sent shockwaves through the Burmese refugee camps when he told reporters earlier this week that Thai authorities had been discussing with Burmese officials the possibility of closing the border camps. Mr. Loifah also speculated that Thai authorities would target Burmese pro-democracy opposition groups living on the Thai side of the border. Mr…