Karen News

A Mon State-based environmental group this week slammed the government for allegedly extending a private company’s mineral exploration license in spite of widespread local objections to tapping in to the mountain’s resources. The Min Lwin Mountain Environmental Conservation Committee said they only recently discovered that the Thaton Township’s deputy administrator extended Phyu Min Tun Company’s permission for mineral exploration and…

Local Karen communities’ plans to raise a statue of their hero and martyr, Saw Ba U Gyi, was objected to by Burma Army commanders in the Three Pagoda Pass town of Win Yay Township, Dooplaya District. Committee members in charge of the Karen New Year celebration in Win Yay [Wor Ray] Township said that the army commanders in the area…

Migrant workers in Thailand are advised to get their status legalized while there is still time to do so. Burma labor activists urged migrant workers to get the necessary legal documents during the three-month period of suspension of the Thai law on illegal migrant workers. U Moe Kyoe, director of Joint Action Committee for Burma Affairs (JACBA), told Karen News…

They only just received official recognition earlier this month, but in a matter of weeks, a Karen sepak takraw team will be playing their first international match, in Thailand. At the 32nd King’s Cup Sepak Takraw Championship in Thailand the New Zealand men’s national sepak takraw team will compete in the doubles category. “I don’t dare to expect a lot…

Refugees from Burma are finding it difficult to stay, difficult to go home. In Thailand, funding cuts to refugee camps have left over 100,000 displaced people from Burma to choose between trying to survive in deteriorating conditions and returning to a country not ready to receive them. The refugees are spread throughout 9 camps perched on Thailand’s southwest border with…

Karen leaders say they were threatened by gunmen when they visited rock quarries on the foothill of Lun Nya Mountain in Hpa-an Township, last week. Lun Nya Village Youth Group’s chair Saw Khite Khite told Karen News that 13 people from the village including him and a monastery donor went to the foothill of Lun Nya Mountain to observe the…

Complaint letters received by Karen State parliament related to land issues dominated all other concerns over the 10-month period from January to October 2017. A government official responsible for receiving the complaint letters said that 54 complaint letters were received by the related government committee. U Saw Hla Myint, a Member of the Karen State Parliament and Chairperson of the…

Dr. Cynthia’s Mae Tao Clinic is struggling to keep helping patients as donors to the Thai-Burma border stop funding. Mae Tao Clinic is appealing for help as funding cuts from donors are impacting their operations. The Clinic provides free healthcare to the displaced and vulnerable people of Burma, including refugees and migrants along the Thai-Burma border. Mae Tao Clinic is…

In one Karen State township, ethnic literature teachers are seeing a windfall of cash thanks to a donation from the Karen National Union’s education wing. The Karen Education Department (KED) provided funds to support 473 village-appointed teachers and ethnic literature teachers in the Win Yaw area under Kya-in Seikgyi township for the 2017-2018 academic year. The donation ceremony was held…

The 62nd Annual Karen State Day ceremony opened in Hpa-An on 7 November. The event, which will run until 11 November, includes a fair with games and food vendors, Karen cultural displays, and various competitions such as traditional dance, badminton, boxing, and cane-ball. The event started with a speech by the Karen State Chief Minister Nan Khin Htwe Myint, in…