Karen News

State-run oil and rubber plantations are blocking displaced Karen villagers from returning to their original land. Since the ceasefire between the Karen National Union and the Burma government in 2012 dispossessed villagers in the Tanintharyi region have begun to return to their former villagers. P’doh Saw Eh Kaw, chairman of Ler Mu Lah township, spoke to Karen News about the…

Farmers along the Done-Tha-Mi River face severe rice shortages this year due to wet season flooding. Farmers in Mon State and Karen State claim this years rice harvest is almost less than half and blame floodwaters for the shortage. Naw Ya Pu, a villager from Kya-Thaung-Seik in the eastern part of the Done-Tha-Mi River in Hpa-An Township spoke to Karen…

A Karen National Union delegation of 10 and led by General Mutu Say Poe met yesterday with Burma’s President Thein Sein and Defense Minister Min Aung Hlaing. The KNU’s Joint Secretary, P’Doh Mahn Mahn confirmed with Karen News that, “the objective of the trip is to meet with the President and the Defense Minister in Nay Pyi Daw. The meeting…

The 2014 Karen New Year is first time hundreds of Karen villagers east of Myeik were able to celebrate. On January 1, 2014, hundreds of Karen villagers in Paluk and Palaw townships and other eastern parts of Myeik town, Tanintharyi region came to celebrate the Karen New Year in Ka Pyaw (Pa Pyin) village. The Karen National Union (KNU) Mergui-Tavoy…

Naw K‘nyaw Paw, the secretary of the Karen Womens Organisation’s told Karen News that reduced funding by the international community for refugees on the Thai Burma border is causing hardship. “Reduction of funding to the nine refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border has resulted in a reduction of services in education and health care and most importantly in their food.”…

Reduced funding from international donors has seen tens of thousands of refugees living on the Thai Burma border receiving less food to eat. The Border Consortium, who is responsible for the delivery of humanitarian aid to the 129,787 refugees from Burma now living in Thailand have said that rice rations were revised in the Thailand refugee camps following “reductions in…

Refugees on the Thai-Burma border struggle to find ways to cope with cuts to their food rations officially introduced to camps in December 2013. Naw Htoo lives in Umpiem Mai Refugee camp south of the Thai Burma border town of Mae Sot. Naw Htoo said that the food ration cuts would mean her family would struggle for food. “The rations…

The founder of the renowned Mae Tao Clinic (MTC) warns of “significant barriers” to improving the health of people on the Thai-Burma border, despite some recent reforms in Burma, in an opinion piece for the Bangkok Post. Dr Cynthia Maung says that obstacles to the health of cross border communities remain in place, even as Burma goes through political and…

General Mutu Say Poe, the chairman of the Karen National Union in his New Year address to the community called for unity, solidarity and said that the Karen people have to be proud of their culture and traditions. General Mutu spoke of the Karen “national characteristics – its calendar, traditions and customs.” General Mutu stressed the importance of the Karen…

Karen News spoke to people attending New Year celebrations held at Border Guard Force headquarters on the Burma side of the River Moei to ask them what they wanted peace talks to deliver in 2014. Thousands of Karen came the BGF headquarters at Shwe Kokko Myaing village in Myawaddy Township to celebrate Karen New Year in what was a highly…