Peacetalk

The Karen River Watch, a coalition of Karen environmental community based groups raise concerns over the proposed hydropower dam projects on the Salween River and repeated their call for a halt to all development projects. Together with local villagers, KRW held a protest near Hat Gyi Dam, one of the proposed dam sites in Hlaingbwe Township, Karen State on March…

An international aid agency has warned that ongoing instability in Burma is blocking prospects for a sustainable peace and the repatriation of communities displaced by conflict. The Border Consortium (TBC), which delivers aid to Burmese refugees in Thailand and internally displaced people in Burma, said that peace efforts were “stumbling,” leaving conflict-affected communities in the dark. There has been a…

While the government insists it wants to end its conflicts with ethnic groups, locals in Karen State say they are still bearing the brunt of the brutal divide and conquer tactics. Recent escalation in heavy fighting in Karen State sent shockwaves through ethnic villages, shattering any trust they may have had in the current ceasefire and “peace talks” between the…

In statement release yesterday, Sunday 19 October, an alliance of Karen women’s organisations gave their support to plans of four armed groups to reunite under the Kawthoolei Armed Forces (KAF) banner. The Karen Women’s Organization (KWO), the Karen Women’s Empowerment Group (KWEG) and Karen Women’s Union (KWU) said in their statement that they, “welcome the announcement, on October 13th, 2014,…

To mark the International Day of Peace, Karen News spoke to members of the Karen community about the importance of peace. Following six decades of conflict, the Karen National Union entered into a preliminary ceasefire with the Burmese government in 2012. But a lasting peace deal remains elusive and sporadic clashes between KNU and government forces have continued, with the…

An order from the Burma Army banning Karen armed groups from wearing uniforms and carrying weapons has received a negative response from the militant groups. The Myawaddy based Burma Army Light Infantry Battalion 275, issued an order to the KloHtooBaw Karen Organization – a political wing of Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) and the Karen National Union/Karen National Liberation Army…

Representatives from both the government and ethnic armed organizations continue discussions on a ceasefire code-of-conduct before signing a nationwide ceasefire agreement. Padoh Saw Tadoh Moo, a member of the Karen National Union’s Central Executive Committee, spoke to Karen News about the issue while attending the latest round of negotiations over the “Single Text” Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement with the government at…

In an interview with Karen News, Padoh Saw Kwe Htoo Win, deputy leader of the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT), said that an agreement had been reached with the Burma government to establish a federal union. He added that the agreement would guarantee the equality of nationality and rights to self-determination through future political dialogue. “We have reached the agreement…

Karen community groups have for the first time have called on the Karen National Union to show more transparency and openness in their ongoing peace talks with the Burma government. Six Karen civil society groups based in Burma and overseas made their call for the meetings between the KNU and government to be more open so people know and understand…

Burma Army offensives in Kachin State are undermining the peace process, an ethnic women’s organisation has claimed. The Kachin Women’s Association Thailand (KWAT) expressed concern of the recent escalation in Burma Army attacks in Kachin and Shan States, which had led to “fresh displacement and suffering” of local civilians in a statement released today. “These systematic operations to seize control…