Karen News

A report by the Karen Human Rights Group accuses the Burma Army of extorting, forced labour and bribes from villagers in the Toungoo district. The report placed civilians into two categories. Those that lived in areas under Burma Army control, and those that didn’t. According to statistics released by the KHRG, civilians in the former category were much more likely…

The winner of the 2011, Padoh Mahn Sha Young Leader Award is Saw Htoo Htoo Eh, a field worker with the humanitarian group Free Burma Rangers. Saw Htoo Htoo Eh described his work to Karen News. “I collect information about the needs of displaced children in conflict zones in Karen State. From the information I collect I assess and organize…

Days after fire destroyed refugee housing, affecting 3,000 people in Umphiem Mai refugee camp, the camp’s cemetery caught fire, destroying many tombs. For refugees in the camp, this was a grim reminder that fire is still a huge threat. Saw Blacktown reports for Karen News. Naw Htoo, a resident of Umphiem Mai refugee camp said that she and her family…

Two women were killed and a man wounded in a firefight between Democratic Karen Buddhist Army fighters and the Burma’s government’s Border Guard Force soldiers on 19th February in the Myaing Gyi Ngu area. A uncle of one of the dead women told Karen News that his 20-year-old niece was married with young children and she was unlucky to be…

Tension between soldiers from the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army and Border Guard Force troops has forced at least 50 villagers from Mae Tha Waw village, Hlaingbwe Township to seek temporary refuge across the border in Thailand. Post Views: 650

A fire that broke out around midday at Umpiem Mai camp, in Tak province destroyed a third of the camp – more than a 1,000 houses, three mosques and two nursery schools. The humanitarian organization, the Thai Burma Border Consortium, Burma state on their website. “Patients evacuated from the clinic are now taking shelter in the food warehouse. Some people…

The Karen National Union said they are unsure if they will be able to meet the 45-day time frame agreed to with the Burma government during the last ceasefire meeting. Naw Zipporah Sein, general secretary of the KNU spoke to Karen News. “We are not sure if we can meet with Burma government this [February] month. At the moment, we…

In an effort to develop unity and peace, representatives from different religions within Karen society came together for a seminar held on the Thai-Burma border last week. The purpose for the seminar is for religious leaders to involve in the process of bringing peace and unity among Karen. Post Views: 653

A huge fire has destroyed as many as 1,000 houses at Umpiem Refugee Camp, 87km south of the Tak town of Mae Sot. A teacher at the camp explained to Karen News that the fire has destroyed large sections of the camp. “Section 9,8,7 and 6 are all gone, completely burnt. It’s dry and windy and the wind has turned…

Local villagers affected by the development of the controversial Dawei (Tavoy) Special Economic Zone in Southern Burma say they are disappointed with the team from Chulalongkorn University Environmental Research Institute hired by the Italian-Thai Development Company to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) on the project. Post Views: 844