Karen News

Ethnic leaders have warned that now is not the time to give up arms, in reaction to a speech calling for disarmament by the Burmese Commander-in-Chief General Min Aung Hlaing. The speech was made at the 21st Panglong Conference in Naypyidaw, which had a series of high-profile international guests including U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon. General Min Aung Hlaing said…

Armed clashes broke out in Karen State between splinter Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) forces and government backed militia. The fighting started in central Karen State on September 2nd, in Mae Tha Waw areas in Hlaingbwe Township, and has continued over the last few days. According to both BGF and DKBA sources, four armed clashes were reported within a day…

Some 20,000 convicts toil in prison labour camps across the country, where they face abuse, exploitation and forced labour, a Myanmar Now investigation finds. NAUNG CHO TOWNSHIP, Shan State (Myanmar Now) – Under the glare of the midday sun, several dozen men wearing blue outfits, with shackles around their ankles, stood grouped together in a field of shrubs and tall…

Funding cuts have decreased food rations, negatively impacted already weakened health care and education systems, and a resettlement process has taken many in community leadership roles before replacements can be adequately trained. Refugees feel they are being forced to “voluntarily” repatriate or remain in camps that are underfunded and find it increasingly difficult to meet the needs of the refugees.…

Karen community based organisations have condemned the Asia Highway project for displacing local communities who had the “misfortune of standing in the way of transnational interests” in a report. The report, entitled ‘Beautiful Words, Ugly Actions: The Asian Highway in Karen State’ documents a range of community concerns regarding the Asia Highway project, which is part of a much larger…

A statement by the Committee for Shan State Unity (CSSU) has criticised Burmese Government plans to dam the Salween river, questioning the economic benefits of various projects and raising concerns over their environmental impact and effect on the ongoing conflict situation in Shan and Kachin States. According to the community based organisation Salween Watch, six hydropower projects are being developed…

A report by the frontline humanitarian organisation Free Burma Rangers has said that the war in Kachin and Shan States is escalating. The FBR said in a report dated 29 August 2016 that “clashes and infantry assaults backed by mortar attacks are now a daily occurrence, and civilians are frequently caught in the crossfire.” The FBR said in its report…

YANGON (Myanmar Now) – Last month, Phyu Phyu made a life-changing decision that few women in Myanmar dare to take in her situation: the 38-year-old mother of two left the family home in Yangon’s Thingangyun Township to escape her abusive husband. “I was hit with a broken glass, and got bruises and cuts on my head. Once I was hit…

Saw Kweh Say Karen activist, songwriter, singer, filmmaker and founding member of Karen News, died in Mae Sot at the age of 43. Kweh Say suffered from diabetes and number of other health related illnesses in recent years. His commitment to his family, Karen related issues will be missed. Kweh Say worked with Burma Issues for more than a decade…

A controversial Chinese dam project in Shan State has been given the go-ahead, as local human rights organisations warned that the development could stoke ongoing conflict in the region. The project, called Naung Pha dam, will produce 1,200 megawatts, of which 90% will be exported directly to China. Naung Pha is backed by China’s state-owned Hydrochina Company. The project has…