Karen News

Many Karen refugees from camps along the Thai-Burma border have been resettled in Sweden since 2005 under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)’s resettlement program. Karen News spoke* with Naw Thida Naing, chair of the Karen Swedish Community, at the end of July about the Karen community there and efforts to preserve Karen culture overseas. Q: Please tell…

With the leniency period now over, Thailand has warned that any remaining unregistered migrant laborers may be deported. Until the August 7 deadline, employers were instructed to register all undocumented workers without risk of facing newly increased fines. Over 772,000 migrant workers were registered during the recent amnesty window, according to the Thai Labour Ministry. The majority of the workers,…

A leader of the Karen National Liberation Army has called for continuing the fight for ethnic autonomy, but through peaceful, political means. Speaking on the 67th anniversary of Karen National Martyrs’ Day, General Saw Johnny said Karen autonomy has not yet been realized, and the sacrifice made by Karen martyrs has not yet been fulfilled, but he added that violence…

Ethnic health workers have been awarded government recognized certificates after a joint training held by government and Karen health departments in Hlaingbwe Township, Karen State. The 31 trainees who completed the seven-month maternal child and reproductive health course provided by Karen Department of Health and Welfare (KDHW) and government Health department were awarded certificates on August 8 at the General…

Hundreds of the Karen migrant community gathered on August 6 in the Thai border town of Mae Sot to celebrate the traditional wrist-tying ceremony at a local monastery. “The tradition of tying white cotton thread around wrists has been passed down through generations and it is not only a traditional legacy of Karen people, but also intended to enrich people’s…

The Shan Human Rights Foundation alleged that recent Burma Army offensives have targeted civilians that resulted in disappearances, arrests and human rights abuses, including torture. The Shan Human Rights Foundation said the targeting of villagers followed a clash between Burma Army soldiers from its IB 249 the ethnic armed group, the “RCSS/SSA near Hai Khai village, Nam Pha Khee tract.”…

A new network of activists and civil society groups has been warning Karen State residents of the dangers of coal through environmental awareness trainings held from July 20 to August 5. The Karen State government greenlit a 1280-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Hpa-An township to be built by joint Thai-Japanese company Toyo-Thai Corporation. The power plant would sit between Wut…

Around 2,000 people participated in a traditional Karen wrist tying ceremony in Kawkareik township on August 7. “This white thread tying ceremony [wrist tying ceremony] is as much a part of the Karen national character as our language, literature, customs and culture. We are holding [the ceremony] this year as a way of preserving the tradition. We will continue to…

Amid efforts to entice more ethnic armed groups into the fold of the nationwide ceasefire agreement, the Karen National Union shared its peace process experiences with the Karenni National Progressive Party at a meeting in Thailand last week. The KNU is one of the eight initial signatories to the nationwide ceasefire agreement and has promoted the pact at peace meetings.…

Education reform activist and champion of migrant education U Naing Naing Tun passed away on August 2 in Thailand, according to his colleagues. He suffered a heart attack and died in the Mae Sot Hospital. He was 47. “His death is a big loss. I’m very saddened,” said Mahn Shwe Hnin, headmaster of the Children’s Development Center and a close…