Karen News

Mahn Johny, the National League for Democracy’s, victorious by-election candidate in Myaungmya Township, Irrawaddy Region, says he will use his parliamentary seat to work for the people and he wants to see an end to Burma’s civil wars. His advisor, Sakhin Zaw Lin, told Karen News that Mahn Johny wants to help to try to stop the civil wars and…

Local people from Kaw Htee Lor (Thebyu Chaung) village along with five other villages are angry that the Italian-Thai Development Company (ITD) is refusing to pay compensation to people whose plantations have been destroyed by the ITD road construction. Karen News reporters attended the meeting between ITD officials and local villagers in Kaw Htee Lor village on March 30. The…

Villagers in southern Burma claim a local influential Karen and representatives of the Italian-Thai Development Company (ITD) want money of villagers in return for building a road. A villager, *Naw Thu (not her real name), spoke to Karen News. “At the end of last November, local villagers in the Kamoethway area, east of Tavoy, near where the Dawei-Kanchanaburi road passes…

A large jubilant crowd of chanting people crowded around the National League for Democracy’s (NLD) headquarters in Rangoon to celebrate what they claim is a landslide victory for ‘the country’s rightful leader – Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’. The NLD say the result means Aung San Suu Kyi can now take her seat in Burma’s parliament for the first time.…

Voters in the three villages under the Kaw Mu Township, where NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi is contesting say they have had a chance to vote freely and securely. A source at the polling stations 1, 2, 3 in A Pyauk village and polling station 2 in Ma Kyi Kan village under the Kaw Mu Township told Karen News.…

Staff at the polling station 1, at Pyi Taw Tar, under the Kaw Mu Township electorate denied voters’ requests to change the waxed covered voting cards they were issued, with unwaxed cards that they could write on, according to local witnesses. A Yangon Press International journalist told Karen News about a voter, Daw Kyi Aye’s claims that it was impossible…

The National League for Democracy’s Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has a new security detail – 30 Karen youths from War Tin Kha village, near Kaw Mu Township, have volunteered to provide security for her in the electorate Mrs Suu Kyi is contesting in tomorrow’s parliamentary by-election. A by-election observer told Karen News. “The 30 youths will guard Daw Aung…

National League for Democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi warned that tomorrow’s Burma’s parliamentary by-elections are not free or fair. Mrs Suu Kyi claimed opposition candidates had been harassed, their campaign posters vandalised and intimidated. Mrs Suu Kyi alleged government officials were involved. In a televised broadcast last week the country’s president, Thein Sein admitted to “unnecessary errors’ involving ballot…

The Union Solidarity and Development Party are accused of local residents of explaining to voters how to ‘incorrectly’ vote in Kaw Mu Town where the National League for Democracy’s, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will contest tomorrow’s parliamentary by-election. A local woman, (who requested her name not be used) accused the USDP of giving them information that would disqualify their…

In what many international observers say is a first, Karen politicians belonging to Burma’s mainstream political parties held a meeting to discuss the Karen National Union’s and the government’s ongoing peace talks. Members of the Kayin People’s Party, Karen State Democracy and Development Party, Plone-Swor Democratic Party, Kayin Democratic Party met with Karen party members from the National League for…