Karen

Tension is high after fighting between soldiers from the Karen National Union and the New Mon State Party in Ye Township the last weekend. It adds to government concerns as both ethnic armies are signatories to the National Ceasefire Agreement. The fighting took place on February 24 near Man-aung village in Win Ye Township between troops from the KNU’s armed…

The Karen State government will invite the State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to the upcoming multi-ethnic cultural festival in the Karen State. Led by the Karen State government, the first multi-ethnic cultural festival will be held at Thiri Stadium in the state’s capital Hpa-an from February 9 to 12. “We have invited her verbally a few months ago.…

The Karen National Union (KNU) Central held a consultative meeting with Karen community-based organizations (CBOs) and civil society organizations at the KNU-controlled area in Law Khee Lar on January 29-30 to explain the current peace process and political dialogues carried out by the KNU. The KNU’s joint secretary P’doh Saw Hla Tun told Karen News that the two-day meeting aimed…

Students from government schools and Karen Education Department (KED) run schools took part in the annual Karen student fellowship event held on January 18 in Pai Kyone Twonship, Pa-an District, Karen State. According to Saw Rainbow, organizer of the event, the fellowship is aimed to improve relationship and friendship between local schools. The fellowship organizing committee invited students and teachers…

Karen migrant youths living abroad including the United States, Norway, the Netherlands and local Karen youths are cooperating in an observation program along the border areas and the refugee camps. They also provided their assistance there from December 27 to January 15. Led by Power Mentor group, a team of Karen youths who migrated to foreign countries is observing the…

More than 200 local residents took part in the celebration of the 28th Karen traditional new crop harvesting season at Dai-Lut-Ta-Mo-Wong Village under Win-Yaw area of Kyain-seikgyi Township, Karen State on January 1. Nan Shar Si, member of the ceremony organizing committee, told Karen News that the traditional ceremony of new crop harvesting has been held since the Karen people…

Mutual trust plays a key role in the delay to signing the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), said Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA)’s commander-in-chief General Saw Mo Shay, speaking at an event commemorating the DKBA’s 23rd anniversary at the group’s headquarters in Karen State on December 21. “We believe in the NCA. We signed it because we believe in the peace…

Villagers from the Lun Nya Mountain area sent a petition to the Karen State Chief Minister on November 22 to protest companies quarrying rock on Lun Nya Mountain, in Hpa-an township, Karen State. Saw Khite Khite, director at Lun Nya Mountain’s Environment Conservation Committee, said that the purpose of the petition was to get the state government to take legal…

Local Karen communities’ plans to raise a statue of their hero and martyr, Saw Ba U Gyi, was objected to by Burma Army commanders in the Three Pagoda Pass town of Win Yay Township, Dooplaya District. Committee members in charge of the Karen New Year celebration in Win Yay [Wor Ray] Township said that the army commanders in the area…

They only just received official recognition earlier this month, but in a matter of weeks, a Karen sepak takraw team will be playing their first international match, in Thailand. At the 32nd King’s Cup Sepak Takraw Championship in Thailand the New Zealand men’s national sepak takraw team will compete in the doubles category. “I don’t dare to expect a lot…