Karen News

Thai-Burma border-based health organizations, local health experts and health experts from overseas, and leaders of ethnic health organizations participated in a health seminar at the Thai-Burma border on May 21-22. The Burma Medical Association (BMA)’s director Saw Nay Htoo, who led the seminar, said the seminar was held to collectively find ways for the emergence of universal health coverage and…

The Karen National Union/Karen National Liberation Army – Peace Council (KNU/KNLA-PC) said it does not want the peace process to be in a standstill and it will continue to work for peace. Military commanders from the KNU/KNLA-PC said this during a meeting between the KNU/KNLA-PC’s regulatory committee and military commanders held in Htoh Kaw Koe of Kawkareik Township, Karen State…

The Karen Peace Support Network (KSPN) issued a statement on May 17 to condemn the government and the Tatmadaw for arresting and suing people involved in peaceful demonstrations where they called for the end of war in various areas in Burma. “We want to highlight how the democracy government handled the ‘Stop War’ and ‘Peace Movement’ activities. Rather than supporting…

Total will install overhead power transmission lines across two townships in the Karen State to transmit power from the LNG (liquefied natural gas) power plant in Kanbauk area of Yebyu Township in the Tanintharyi Region to a 500 kV substation in the Bago Region, according to project officials. The project officials met with local residents in Kan Thar Oo Hall…

A Karen National Union delegation led by its chairman, General Saw Mutu Sae Po met unofficially with Burma Army’s Senior General, Min Aung Hlaing, to discuss the fighting in the Papun area of Northern Karen State. The KNU and the Burma Army met on Thursday, May 17 at the Yangon Command Headquarters in Rangoon. The informal meeting lasted for three-hours…

Karen traditional musicians have urged the Karen people to preserve Karen traditional music since the majority of the Karen people are not interested in playing the Karen traditional musical instruments. Saw Mike Aung Kho, who plays Gain (Migyaung Hlyar) and Khanar (zither), told Karen News on May 14 that the number of people who can play traditional musical instruments has…

The Karen National Union’s army released a statement voicing its frustration and disappointment in national peace talks with Burma’s government and its military. The KNLA accused the government of using road building as a strategy to complete its attempts to militarize Karen held territory. “We cannot fail to see that they are not the ordinary work of building roads, but…

The Thai government has transferred 93 Myanmar refugees from five refugee camps to Burma government on May 7 under the bilateral agreement on the voluntary repatriation of the refugees from Thailand. The refugees living in Mae La, Umpiem, Nu Po, Ban Don Yang, and Mai Nai Soi refugee camps have returned under the arrangement of the Thai Ministry of Interior,…

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has finalized voluntary repatriation for 161 refugees that will begin on May 7th from five refugee camps on the Thai-Burma border. UNHCR sources stated that this is the second batch of refugees that will be voluntary repatriated under an agreement between the Royal Thai Government and the Government of the Union of…

Myaing Gyi Ngu Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camp in Hlaingbwe Township, Karen State needs aids to repair roofs in early monsoon season. Although Myaing Gyi Ngu Sayadaw has donated roofing-leaves to repair the roofs in the IDP camps, which house over 5,000 IDPs, some houses did not receive enough leaves to repair the roofs before the monsoon starts, according to…