Karen News

A report by Free Burma Rangers, a humanitarian organisation, has found evidence of opium growing in areas of Chin State, Burma’s Westernmost State. Chin State is one of Burma’s poorest states and is not known as an area for large opium production, which is more closely associated with Eastern Shan and Kachin States, that form part of the notorious ‘Golden…

A four-year-long state of emergency has been lifted in Arakan State the day before Burma’s new government took power, leading to calls for restrictions on ethnic Rohingya to also be lifted. On 29 March 2016, the last day of President U Thein Sein’s administration, emergency rule was lifted from Arakan State which had been the site of inter-communal violence between…

YANGON (Myanmar Now) – Shortly after newly elected President Htin Kyaw completed a swearing-in ceremony in Myanmar’s parliament on Wednesday morning, the country’s new leader, a ‘proxy’ of National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, headed to the Presidential Residence in Naypyitaw. In its stately diplomatic hall, Htin Kyaw met outgoing President Thein Sein. An aired video recording…

Mi Kayin villagers in Hpa-an Township held a prayer service for the protection of their land and natural resources threatened by the proposed cement plant on March 29, 2016. The villagers gathered at the base of Mi Kayin Mountain for the public prayer service after a recently revived proposal to develop a limestone quarry and cement factory near their village.…

The new government will have to address numerous junta-era land grabs, such as in Ayeyawaddy Region’s Pantanaw Township where hundreds of farmers lost land. PANTANAW, Ayeyarwady Region (Myanmar Now) – As darkness fell in Khanwebo on the night of February 3, a sudden ruckus erupted when dozens of policemen entered the coastal village in Ayeyarwady Region. They were looking for…

YANGON (Myanmar Now) – Ethnic leaders and armed group representatives have welcomed last week’s appointment of Htin Kyaw as president of the National League for Democracy government, with some voicing confidence in his government’s abilities to revive Myanmar’s stalled peace process. “Although Aung San Suu Kyi is not the president, she will be able to work harmoniously with the president.…

A human rights organization, Fortify Rights, based in South East Asia has called upon the US Department of State to assign Burma a ‘Tier-3’ ranking on its upcoming Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report. Burma is currently ranked as a Tier-2 country on the US Department of State watch list. Fortify Rights said that TIP rankings should be “objective and based…

Karen Literacy and Cultural Committee members in the Rangoon Region are disappointed over the lack of official permission to allow the ethnic group to teach its language in government schools. Teaching of ethnic languages in government’s schools now is allowed outside of the official curriculum, but ethnic nationalities pushed to have their languages taught officially in government schools. A general…

Regional level Karen People’s Party will reorganize its structure starting from the village tract and ward level. The party’s township officials discussed the issue at its meeting on March, 12 at Mahatheindawgyi Monastery in Pathein, Ayeyawaddy Division. Mahn Tun Tin, the KPP’s Ayeyarwaddy regional chairman spoke to Karen News. “Our plan is that if there are 10 villages in a…

Burma Army soldiers have forced civilians to work for them in Rakhine State, under threat of death if they do not, Fortify Rights a human rights watchdog based in South East Asia said. Fortify Rights said that ethnic Rakhine civilians were forced to dig graves and carry supplies for Burma Army forces engaged in a conflict with the Arakan Army…