KNU

The Karen National Union is gearing up for its 16th congress next week, with international representatives from 12 countries expected to attend the leadership-determining event. The congress, which was postponed from November last year, could have major repercussions for the KNU’s involvement in the peace process, with a vote expected to shake up the organization’s management. The international delegates, who…

In the weeks before he was murdered in February 2008, the Karen leader, Padoh Mahn Sha Lah Phan, in an interview with Phil Thornton, spoke about the importance of unity and why the ethnic struggle would survive the opportunistic greed of those prepared to “sell out the Karen revolution.” Today marks the day nine years ago that the highly respected…

The Karen National Union (KNU) will not only negotiate land issues in the Karen State with the Burmese government but also carry them out in practice, KNU’s joint secretary-2 Pado Mann Mann Mann said. He made the remarks at the press conference held on the last day of the Karen National Political Dialogue on Land and Environmental Sector. The event…

The Karen National Union 16th Congress vote, scheduled for March 2017, is looking like one of the most critical elections the KNU has held. Observers note that the outcome will decide which KNU faction will lead the organization’s efforts to work on securing peace for the Karen people. In determining who can vote at the KNU’s 16th Congress, members of…

The expansion of the 20-mile-long dry season road connecting Kyaukyi – Mu-The’ village in the Pago (Pegu) region has been ordered to to stop by the Karen National Union because they claim that little consultation with villagers has been done. Local Karen National Union officials at its Nyaunglebin District office said the road building had been stopped after a meeting…

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) recently gave training on the law of armed conflict (LOAC) to senior military leaders of the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA). Over 40 military leaders from the KNLA under the KNU Brigade 7 attended the training, which was held in an area under the control of the Karen National Union (KNU) Brigade…

Three Karen ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) and four Karen political parties held their first federalism workshop at Lay Kay Kaw Myothit in Myawaddy Township, Karen State from 29 to 30 November. Saw Tar Mu Lar, the Karen National Union (KNU) Chairman’s Office Secretary, said: “People are very keen to know about this issue [federalism]. We won’t get what we want…

The Karen National Union (KNU), the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) and the Karen National Union/Karen National Liberation Army Peace Council (KNU/KNLA-PC) will participate in the national-level political dialogue as a single block. The decision was reached at a meeting between the three Karen ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) in Lay Kaw Myothit in Myawaddy Township, Karen State on 21 November.…

The Karen Health and Welfare Department, a health service provider under the Karen National Union is planning that its teaching hospital, near Kawkariek will be set up and running by January, 2017. The teaching hospital, called Taw Nor [Daw Na], was planned to open on the first of January, but it is thought that unfinished building works might delay the…

Eight health organisations from the Thai-Burma border, which have been providing birth certificates and documents to enable children to be properly registered, will discuss their work with Karen State Government departments on 28 November. The organisations help provide birth certificates and documentation to unregistered children born in the border areas of Karen State, including in Karen National Union (KNU) controlled…