Karen State

Chief Minister of Karen State has ordered businessmen who have been granted land concession to lands confiscated from local villagers in the Hti Lon area in Hlaing Bwe Township to return the land to traditional owners. U Kyaw Soe Hlaing, a Forest Department officer from Hlaing Bwe Township in Karen State told Karen News that U Zaw Min, the Karen…

An environmental coalition of civil society groups group has issued a statement claiming that recent armed conflict in Karen State is linked to the Burma government’s plans to dam the Salween River. Salween Watch said it was “gravely concerned at the recent escalation of fighting and displacement in Karen state, Burma/Myanmar, which is linked to plans by the Burma Army…

An artillery shell killed four and wounded nine civilians travelling on the Myawaddy – Kawkareik road – a major trading route from Thailand. An unidentified armed group is believed to have fired the shell that landed in front of a shop at Ale Bo Tae on Saturday, October 11. A police officer in Kawkareik Township, who asked to remain anonymous,…

Police in Kawkareik Town, Karen State have arrested three people on suspicions of drug dealing. The suspects, one man and two women, were arrested for allegedly selling methamphetamine pills, also known as ‘ya ma’. Police Chief Aung Oo from the Special Anti-narcotic Force in Kawkareik Township told Karen News that the three arrested were identified as U Than Naing, who…

The government-backed Myanmar Peace Center (MPC) met with the Karen Peace Support Network (KPSN), that represents 28 Karen community based organizations, to discuss concerns regarding a Japanese economic development blueprint for South East Burma. Following the September 11 meeting, Naw Susanna Hla Hla Soe, from KPSN spoke to Karen News. “Primarily, we discussed how the two sides would cooperate on…

More than 30 ethnic Karen community based organizations, including environmental watchdogs and civil society organizations, have criticized a blueprint for economic development in Southeast Burma published by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), an aid agency that operates under the Japanese government. The report, published on 9 September, by a coalition of 28 Karen CBOs – calling themselves the Karen…

In a speech delivered at the celebration marking the formation of Border Guard Force, a militia group under the control of the Burma Army, Colonel Chit Thu, claimed that his troops are for the benefit of the Karen people. Colonel Chit Thu, senior advisor and general secretary of the Karen State BGF central command said, in his speech at the…

Four political parties are preparing to contest an up-coming by-election in Karen State at the end of the year. The parties contesting the election are the Plone-Swor Democratic Party (PSDP), Karen Democratic Party (KDP), National League for Democratic Party (NLD) and The Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). “Currently, for advanced preparation, the PSDP party is still working under the…

Schools run by the Karen Education Department (KED) on the Karen State border with Thailand, are facing a massive shortage of teaching materials. Saw Law Eh Moo, the Secretary of the KED, in an interview with Karen News said the education system does not have enough teachers, books or funds. “KED’s does not have enough curriculum materials for students and…

An alliance of Karen armed groups have got together to start a crack down on the use of illicit drugs in Karen State. The Unity Committee of Karen Armed Groups formed the alliance now known as the Anti-Narcotic Joint Committee on July 15. The alliance consists of six Karen armed groups was set up to tackle drug use and drug…