Karen Youth Organization Elects Totally New Central Committee To Run it

An 11-memeber new central executive committee was voted in at the 5th Karen Youth Organization congress held on June 29 at Lay Wah (Law Khee Lar), Pa-an district in Karen State.

The new elected central executive members include Saw Ler Ner as chairman, Saw Eh Soe as vice-chairman, Saw Lar Set Wah as general secretary, Saw Thoo Lei as joint secretary (1) and Naw Hser Hser as joint secretary (2). They were elected by over 90 delegates based from the central level, district level and from refugee camps who attended the congress.

Saw Ler Ner, the newly elected chairman spoke to Karen News.

“All leaders elected at the 5th Congress are new people. No leaders who served in the previous committee are in this new committee. Therefore, there may be some difficulty at the beginning for us.”

At the congress held from 20 to 30 June, 161 people participated, including delegates from the central KYO and seven Karen National Union districts, refugee camps, KYO members overseas and from Rangoon and the Karen State based Youth Connect and Karen Youth Network.

Saw Ye Htwe, an attendee representing Youth Connect spoke to Karen News.

“We have much work to do in cooperation with the newly elected leaders. I believe it’s important to let Karen youth know about the politics, economy and history of Karen.”

The KYO reviewed its works from the previous four years and set an 18-point plan in place. Padoh Saw Hla Tun, in charge of the KNU Organizing Department, a former KYO chairman also attended the Congress.

“I’m delighted that new leaders of the KYO have been elected,” Padoh Saw Hla Tun said, “We expect that KYO leaders will cooperate with Karen youth who live inside and outside of the country along with the aims of KNU.”

Under the previous KYO constitution, the congress is to be held every four years, according to an amendment, the new committee will hold office for five years.