Karen State

Villagers living near the Myaing Kalay cement factory in Hpa-an, Karen State have asked for operators to stop the storing and transporting of coal used to run the 4,000 ton Myaing Kalay cement factory. Local residents made their request on November 10, following the spilling of coal from trucks while being transported from the port to the cement factory. The…

The 63rd Karen State Day annual ceremony was held in Hpa-An on 7 November. The event, which was run by the Karen State Government, was opened by U Aye Thar Aung, vice-chairman of the National Parliament. U Aye Thar Aung also made an inaugural speech at the ceremony. Present at the ceremony were Nai Thet Lwin (the Union Minister for…

The Karen National Union (KNU) has not permitted the construction of a proposed cement plant in Hlaingbwe Township under its controlled area, according to Gen. Saw Johnny, chief of staff of the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) under the KNU. Yadanar Sai Kaung Myat Kyaw Company has earmarked the construction of the cement plant near Hnget Pyaw Taw Village under…

Fourteen out of 41 escaped inmates have been caught after they broke out of Taung Kalay Prison in Hpa-an Township, Karen State, an official from the State Police Force said to Karen News on September 16. “We caught 14 inmates up to this evening (September 16). They were caught in different areas so there is a time difference. We’ve already…

The Karen State’s Kyainseikgyi Township has received Ks 10,128 million for the community driven development (CDD) project, which has been carried out in joint cooperation between the World Bank, the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, and the Department of Rural Development within a period of four years, the project coordinator said to Karen News on September 12. “A total of…

After second flooding hit the Karen State’s capital Hpa-an, two more relief camps have been opened in the city and the number of flood victims has increased by over 1,000, the Karen State Department of Disaster Management’s director U Lin Htut said. “The floodwater rose again so two more relief camps have been opened. The number of flood victims has…

MPT (Myanma Posts and Telecommunications) has offered free calls up to 30 minutes to its subscribers in 18 townships in the Karen State, Mon State, and eastern Bago Region, which has recently been hit by flood, according to a press release sent by MPT to Karen News on August 3. This service can be used within 30 days starting on…

The water level of the Than Lwin (Salween) River is still five feet above its danger level in the Karen State and the homes of the local residents are still submerged even though the flood has receded, so Hpa-an residents are still facing difficulties in returning home. The flood victims have been forced to abandon their homes and take refuge…

Relief aids are still needed for over 2,000 people from 15 villages on Kawt-lon Island in Hlaingbwe Township, Karen State after the island became flooded by the swelling river caused by a week-long rainfall, village officials said. “Our entire island was submerged. The water level has dropped by two feet now. Even though the water level has dropped, we still…

Myawaddy, Hlaing-bwe, and Hpa-an townships, in Karen State, have been affected by severe flooding after heavy rain triggered a sudden rise in the river level of the Than-lwin (Salween) River and the Thaung-yin (Moei) River this week, the State Department of Disaster Management’s director U Lin Htut said. “Currently, Myawaddy is in the first place [among the hardest-hit townships]. Hlaing-bwe…