Karen State

Mya Kan Thar Mining Company received permission from the State government to mine for antinomy in the Lay Thar Plaw area in Kyain Seikgyi Township in Karen State. U Myo Aung Htay, secretary of the Karen State Administration Office signed, on behalf of the State Minister, a letter dated December 27, 2012 and sent to the Union Mining Minister at…

Ko Nay Myo Zin, who works to help farmers and rural villagers’ fight for the loss of their farmlands and for their rights, spoke publically in Karen State about the poor living conditions that ethnic people are having to endure. Ko Nay Myo Zin who is a former Burma Army officer and served jail time as a former political prisoner…

The spokesperson of an Italian non-government organization, Popolis, which has been working in Karen State since 2001, said it would only operate in areas under the control of the Karen National Union. In a statement to Karen News, Popili’s spokesperson (who requested that their name not be used) said. “We have been worried about what has been happening in Karen…

Villagers in Myawaddy Township, Dooplaya District, Karen State, have mixed feelings about road building taking place in their area. Villagers say responsible development that brings benefits to all the people is welcome, but they worry that there is a lack of consultation or planning being done. Htee Mu Hta village is not unlike other communities in Karen State at rice…

The end of the monsoon season has seen the Burma Army repairing supply roads to their bases in Karen State. This has caused Karen army officers to question the strategy behind the rebuilding of the supply roads when the government is supposed to be withdrawing its troops from the region. The Burma Army began repairing the transportation road into Thandaung…

Hpa-an householders and students are finally out of the dark after four days without electricity. Hpa-an Town residents were without electricity for four days from the 21st to the 25th of October. Students had to use candlelight during their preparation for their first semester exams. A 60-years-old grandmother spoke to Karen News about the lack of electricity. “The power came…

Villagers claim they are paying full amounts for a full electricity service they are not receiving. Residents from Larkar village claim that authorities require them to pay the full rate electricity bills even though the power is often cut-off. Larkar village is located on the western part of the Salween River in Hpa-an Township in Karen State. A woman Larkar…

The Karen State Chief Minister, U Zaw Min, said on August 7 that as many as 6,000 people have been left homeless after severe flooding in Hpa-an Town area of Karen State. U Zaw Min, told Karen News that the heavy rains that had deluged the country since July had caused the Salween River to finally flood. “There are over…

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…

A small Karen boy leads two large brown bulls in search of a much-needed feed of grass. The summer sun has baked the ground hard and dried the grass brittle. The boy is wedged between the huge animals his small frame dwarfed by their bulk. The boy, Saw Tabluklee, blinks against the bright sun, his skin burnt brown and says…