IDPs

Karen humanitarian groups working with a Norwegian non-government-organization, as part of the Myanmar Peace Support Initiative, plan to start its second phase of a pilot project designed to help displaced Karen people in eastern Burma. The Karen National Union’s Committee for Internally Displaced Karen People (CIDKP), the Karen Office of Relief and Development (KORD) and the Norwegian People’s Aid run…

The Karen National Union’s general secretary, Padoh Kwe Htoo Win, in an exclusive interview with Karen News explains why now is not the right time to return refugees or displaced people. “When there is no more fighting and no more human right violations, they [displaced people] can start to rebuild their lives. Since we don’t have a concrete ceasefire, we…

Burma’s military accused of mass human rights abuses in Shan State as President Thein Sien is awarded peace prize and the EU economic sanctions. The Shan Human Rights Foundation has expressed grave concern over new widespread abuses being committed by the Burma Army in recent weeks. Despite ongoing peace talks with the Shan State Army-North (SSA-N), Burma’s military has launched…

The Kachin Women’s Association of Thailand (KWAT) released a statement on Thursday urging the international community to help stop the Burmese government’s consistent human rights violations even as the conflict has stabilized. Moon Nay Li, a spokesperson for KWAT spoke to Karen News about the fighting between the Burma Army and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). Moon Nay Li said…

Civil society groups voiced their disappointment that the government ministers appointed to its Peace Committee failed to address many of the questions that representatives from 64 community-based-organisations brought to a meeting held at the Myanmar Peace Centre on Sunday. Nan Thandar Aung, a representative from the Karen Women Action Group (KWAG) who was at the meeting, spoke to Karen News.…

The Palaung Women’s Organization have estimated that several thousand Palaung villagers from northern Shan state have been displaced in the protracted conflict between the Burma Army and local ethnic armed militia since early 2011 to now. A report ‘The Burden of War’, released in early November by the PWO’s report claims thousands of civilians from 15 villages, are hiding in…

A coalition of Shan community groups have voiced concern about the repatriation of over 500 refugees from a camp on the northern Thai border into an area of conflict. On August 27th, the Norwegian Refugee Council, part of the Norwegian-led “Myanmar Peace Support Initiative,” began house-to-house surveys of refugees in Koung Jor camp, northern Chiang Mai province, asking about their…

Burma’s Ministry of Immigration and Population (MOIP) in Hpa-An, Karen State along with the Norwegian Refugee council (NRC), has jointly launched a new program aiming to speed-up the distribution of Citizen Scrutiny Cards (CSC’s) to populations in remote areas of Burma. “The joint collaboration features a free of charge, one-stop service through mobile teams that visit remote villages, bringing with…

In the past few months, various media reports have quoted some concerns and opinions of KESAN regarding the ongoing peace process in Burma. This statement clarifies and expands upon these issues. Our perspective on the peace process and peace funds Sustainable peace is the long-term vision of Karen people. That vision incorporates rule of law, the protection of human rights,…

In a small bamboo hut located at the bottom of a mountain in the Dawna Ranges, that rises in Eastern Burma, a small girl is busy putting firewood in a stove made out of three stones. The girl is, Naw Bleh Hsi, fills the water in a smoke blackened pot and sits it on top of the three-stone-stove to boil.…