Karen News

A coalition of Karen environmental community based groups, the Karen River Watch, joined with local villagers to protest the building of hydro-power dams on the Salween River. The protesters called for all mega hydro-power projects on Salween River to stop. The protest marked the International Day of Action for Rivers and Against Dams, held each year on March 14. Representatives…

While parliament’s vote for a civilian president is greeted with optimism, the appointment of a junta-era figure to first vice-president concerns many YANGON (Myanmar Now) – Across Myanmar, Htin Kyaw’s appointment as president on Tuesday was greeted with optimism as finally a civilian, and not a general, will lead the government. But the simultaneous approval of the military’s choice for…

Student leaders from the All Burma Federation of Student Union’s have announced they will boycott the country’s judicial system and have announced a “Failed Law” calling for a change to the 2008 constitution. The campaign was sparked by a crackdown by Burmese authorities on protesters against a joint Chinese and Burma Army copper mine project in Letpadaung in December 2014.…

In spite of recent reforms and the release of political prisoners, the numbers still in jail in Burma are significant, a human rights advocacy organisation based in the United Kingdom has said. Burma Campaign UK, said it had launched a campaign to highlight the issue of political imprisonment in Burma, referring to the case of Naw Ohn Hla, who was…

Major General Saw Ler Pwe, the commander-in-chief of Democratic Karen Benevolent Army also known as Na Kham Mwe, died Today (March 13) from cancer at his home in Pegu Town. Saw Yin Kyi, DKBA Liaison Officer in Kawkareik confirmed to Karen News about the general’s death. “[Grandpa] Saw Ler Pwe suddenly vomited on his way home coming back from church.…

To mark International Women’s Day, Karen women’s groups demand involvement in the Burma peace building process and reminded politicians to keep their promise of giving women a 30% stake in the process. International Women’s Day ceremonies were widely held in KNU controlled areas and in refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border on March 8, organized by the Karen Women’s Organization…

NAY PYI TAW (Myanmar Now) – Myanmar’s new parliament nominated four presidential candidates on Thursday, with Htin Kyaw, a nominee from the National League for Democracy (NLD), tipped to be president. One name was notably absent – Nobel peace laureate and NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi who did not attend the event. Despite a landslide election victory for the…

High profile women, including actress Dame Judi Dench and actress Gillian Anderson, have put their names to a document calling on action to stop the sexual assault and rape of women in Burma. The pledge, which was released to mark International Women’s Day, called for: 1. An investigation into rape and sexual violence by the Burmese military against ethnic women…

A recent meeting between different Karen armed groups reached a decision that the Karen National Union is to lead the groups political agenda. The meeting held on February 29, 2016 at the Karen National Liberation Army’s headquarter in Pa-an District, Karen State is a regular event among the Karen Armed Groups Unity Committee that represents various the KNLA, KNU/KNLA Peace…

The Karen National Union is outraged that media reports said it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the with the government to construct a hydro-power dam as untrue. The KNU issued a denial after Karen communities inside Burma and overseas, incensed by the reports, lashed out at the ethnic political organization for giving the go-ahead for the government to…