Karen villager

Villagers from villages along Eastern Donna Range gathered at Htee Mae Wah Kee village in Myawaddy Township on October 4th to show their support for the three Karen armed groups who have decided to sign the ceasefire agreement with the government. The Karen armed groups – Karen National Union (KNU), Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) and KNU/KNLA – Peace Council…

Government officials have stopped a Karen community group from holding a conference to discuss the impact of development projects on local communities. Youth Circle (YC), a civil society group working on youth and social issues had planned to release the findings of a report at a three-day conference it had organized in Hpa-an, Karen State last week. State government officials…

Fighting in early July 2015 between soldiers from the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army and government troops along the Asia Highway, not only forced villagers from their homes, but caused them to lose most of their household belongings and food supplies when fleeing the conflict. Control of the newly built Asia Highway that connects Myawaddy to Kawkreik caused conflict between the…

Religion tensions have increased following the building of a Buddhist pagoda in the compound of a Christian church located in Hpa-an Township. Local community and religious leaders are worried that the construction of the pagoda and a temple in the compound of the Baptist church in Mezaing (Mae Sit Hta) village in Hpa-an township, Karen State will lead to increased…

Karen community groups claim the Karen National Union is ignoring their concerns about the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement with the government. The claims came at a meeting 15 community-based Karen groups had with the KNU leaders to discuss the nationwide ceasefire agreement. The meeting held at Lay Wah in Hlaingbwe Township on August 31 between KNU representatives and the Karen groups…

In August 2011, at Mae Sot General Hospital, a mother found herself facing a choice no parent should have to make. She had given birth three days earlier and walked seven hours from her home in eastern Burma to seek medical treatment for her sick newborn daughter, Naut Naut, leaving her husband and other infant daughter at home. She went…

In 1997 the Burma Army forced Karen people from the Mutraw (Papun) District in Karen State from their homes. Many of these people were practicing animists. During the forced displacement, villagers unable to live on their land were many of their deity’s lived, lost many aspects of their Karen animism beliefs. Despite living in displacement, fear and hardship, five Karen…

A Karen woman’s groups is running training for community-based-organisation to help them understand and identify the different and often conflicting elements in Burma’s ceasefire process. Naw Suzanna Hla Hla Soe, a director of the Karen Women Empowerment Group (KWEG) told Karen News that topics covered in the training were understanding armed conflict, violence resulting from the conflicts and identifying different…

Karen villagers whose lands were taken by companies to build a hydropower dam are angry and now want their lands returned. The villagers from the Palet Wa region in Thandaung Township lost their homes and land to a hydro-power dam in Htantabin Township are protesting and demanding their lands are returned from the companies. More than a 100 villagers and…

Karen villagers from Nyaung Chaung claim the justice system has let down five men from the village sentenced to death and one to a life sentence by the Thaton Disctrict Court in Mon State on 16 January 2015. More than 30 villagers including the victim families and village leaders gathered to discuss the case – villagers are angry. Villagers alleged…