Karen News

Fighting broke out in Papun Township between the Karen National Liberation Army government troops on February 27 that resulted in one Karen soldier killed and one wounded. The fighting happened in territory under the control of the KNLA’s 5th Brigade. An official from Karen National Union, Padoh Saw Pha Gaw, confirmed to Karen News from Papun District that the fighting…

Traditionally the Karen people believe nature has its own spirits. The Karen people place great importance on these spirits and depend on them for their wellbeing. These spirits live in and are the caretakers of the mountains, forests, rivers and plants. The spirits are also in food including rice. Today many of these traditional beliefs are gradually becoming less practiced,…

Fighting in Mywaddy Township between troops from the Karen National Liberation Army and government militia’s Border Guard Force on Saturday, February 28 left one KNLA dead, one wounded and one BGF soldier injured. The fighting was between soldiers from the KNLA 6th Brigade Headquarter, Special Column and the BGF soldiers from its Battalion 1022. The fighting broke out at 6:13pm…

The Shan Human Rights Foundation issued a statement alleging that Burma Army had looted villages near Laogai. “Groups of Burma Army soldiers have been patrolling in Shan and Ta’ang (Palaung) villages near the Kokang capital Laogai, looting food and other possessions, and destroying property of local villagers, the Shan Human Rights Foundation said. The Shan Human Rights Foundation said that…

Four boarding houses of the Children Development Center (CDC), a migrant school on the Thai border town of Mae Sot, burnt to the ground on Wednesday, February 25, leaving homeless 62 male students who were living and studying at the school. Saw Elijah, administrator of the boarding house spoke to Karen News. “The boarding house caught fire at about 4:50…

A delegation, advocating on behalf of refugees and displaced people from Burma took their cause to Britian’s Parliament in an attempt to highlight the affects of funding cuts on services to people along the Thai Burma. “As refugees, we are under tremendous pressure in the camps. There have been many reductions in services including cuts to healthcare, education, shelter, and…

Ethnic communities have spent decades building vital services in the absence of government help, but there are now fears interference could result in their work being undermined. While acknowledging Myanmar needs help, Cynthia Maung is not optimistic that a $100 million (about 3.2 billion baht) agreement with the World Bank for essential health services will benefit ethnic community health organisations…

Tuesday this week, a convoy of trucks carrying the Myanmar Red Cross Society signs were attacked by unknown and two workers killed. The killing has outrages international governments and in media reports the US expressed its deep concern over the attack. The attack follows intense fighting that broke out on February 9 and it is reported that 47 Burma Army…

A new report by a network of ethnic community health organisations was released today at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand, Bangkok. The report, The Long Road to Recovery, based on data surveyed from 64 townships, with a target population of half a million people, “shows decreased rates of malaria and maternal malnutrition, and improved patterns of breastfeeding.” Despite these…

Parents and education service providers of migrant communities in the Thai border town of Mae Sot are struggling to continue sending their children to school. Migrant education organisations told Karen News that the closure of migrant schools is caused by withdrawal of funding by international donors. Officials from the Thai Ministry of Education, the Burmese Migrant Workers Education Committee, World…