KNU

A memorial prayer service was held for Padoh Saw David Taw, the late leader of Karen National Union who was also a member of peace committee, after a hundred days of his death at Hsa Thoo Lei Learning Center in the Thai border town of Mae Sot, Tak Province on Saturday, January 19. Naw Jin Jar, wife of David Taw…

A number of reports by a diverse range of international and local organizations have scrutinized Burma’s government and while applauding recent positive changes, found it wanting in all functions of government from political inclusion, to rule of law to land rights to healthcare. Professor Desmond Ball of the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at the Australian National University in Canberra…

The Minister of Border and Security Affairs, Colonel Zaw Lwin, representing the government, joined with more than 4000 Karen people to celebrate Karen New Year Day, January 12, in Myitta village, Tenasserim Divion, in southern Burma. The KNU Mergui-Tavoy District Secretary, Padoh Saw Thaw Thi Pay, told the gathering that life for Karen in the area had got better since…

President U Thein Sein invitated a Karen National Union delegation to Naypyidaw to meet with key government ministers, including the vice president Sai Mauk Kham and the military chief, Vice-Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. The KNU delegation led by General Mutu Say Poe, the KNU chairman, met for two days, from the 5th to the of 6th January, with President…

The Karen Women Action Group, a community-based women’s group working out of Rangoon gave its approval for the issues the Karen National Union raised in its meeting with the government and its key ministers, including the president and the head of the country’s army. Naw Susana Hla Hla Soe, director of KWAG spoke to Karen News. “We are pleased to…

A Karen National Union delegations met with Vice-Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the head of the Defense Ministry and the Tatmadaw (Burma Army), in the country’s capital, Naypyidaw, to talk about the need for nationwide ‘concrete ceasefire agreements’ between all ethnic armed groups and the government. Padoh Mahn Mahn, joint secretary of the KNU and a member of its delegation…

The 2013 Karen New Year celebrations will be first. It will be the first time, the Karen people and its political organisdation, the Karen National Union (KNU) will celebrate the Karen New Year in a government controlled area. This was made possible when the KNU and the government reached cease-fire agreement last year. The Karen New Year 2752 celebrations in…

Villagers in the Thandaung area were frightened by a Burma Army helicopter that repeatedly flew over their homes last week – the area is under the Karen National Union’s Taungoo District and its armed wing, the Karen National Liberation Army 2nd Brigade. Local sources said that the helicopter flew to Tate Pu military camp on January 1 and to Bu…

Karen National Union leaders left today from the Thai-Burma border to travel to Naypyidaw to meet with President Thein Sein to discuss war in ethnic areas. The KNU Supreme Headquarters issued a statement confirming the trip and said they had received an invitation from President U Thein Sein. A number of the KNU’s newly elected leaders left from their border…

The Karen National Union 15th Congress finished with the election of all the organization’s positions voted-in for the next four years administration. Following the election of its five top leaders, together with its Central Standing Committee, the KNU elected General Saw Jonny, the former commander of the Karen National Liberation Army 7th Brigade, as its Army Chief. General Saw Baw…