Victoria Karen Communities to Commemorate The 73rd Karen Martyrs Day
By Karen News: Preparations are underway at Geelong, a town 75 Km west of Melbourne, Australia, to commemorate the 73rd Karen Martyrs Day which falls on 12th August. This is the first time the Karen communities around Victoria State come together to commemorate the significant event for Karen ethnic nationality.
The Victoria Karen Communities Network Group (VKCNG), a network of six Karen community groups in the State of Victoria, is organizing the event.
According to Saw Timothy, one of the organizers of this event and a member of the VKCNG, this event will include sport competitions such as futsal, volleyball, cane ball and more. There will be food stalls at this event, which will be taking place at Sutcliffe Reserve in Geelong on Saturday 4pm on August 12, 2023.
“Our purpose is to bring the communities in Victoria together and at the same time commemorate our Karen Martyrs’ Day” Saw Timothy told Karen News. “In the past few years, our communities have been isolated from each other due to pandemic lockdown. It is now the time for our communities to interact with each other again” Saw Timothy added.
The VKCNG organizes Karen national days such as Karen New Year, Karen Wrist Tying Ceremony and Karen National Day to bring together Karen communities in the State of Victoria .
Saw Ler Wah Aung, a community member from Eastern Melbourne, told Karen News that it is important for the Karen communities overseas to value the significance of the Karen Martyrs’ Day as it is a day to honour those who sacrificed their lives for the Karen people.
“It is good for us that the VKCNG is organizing the Karen Martyrs’ day. It is very important for us to remember our Karen martyrs who had given their lives for the cause of our Karen people. We should give honour and value our Karen martyrs. This is also a good opportunity for us to get together.” Saw Ler Wah Aung said.
The Karen Martyrs’ Day is commemorated each year on August 12th, the anniversary of the day when the Burma Army assassinated the Karen’s leader, Saw Ba U Gyi, in 1950. The Karen Martyrs’ Day is held to commemorate soldiers and people who lost their lives in the armed conflict between the various Burma military regimes and the Karen people over the last seven decades.
