Karen News

In November 2010, Hsa Bluh Paw and her family were forced from their home after Burma Army soldiers and a breakaway faction of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army started fighting. Despite the Burma government’s talk of reform and signing ceasefire with ethnic political organizations the Burma Army has continued to wage war in ethnic states. Hsa Bluh Paw and her…

Burma army soldiers arrested and detained four villagers from T’Kuh Khee village in Kyain Seikgyi Township Karen State, after their food supplies were destroyed by Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) fighters, local villagers told Karen News. Post Views: 535

The Karen National Union President, Saw Tamla Baw, speaking on the 63rd Anniversary of Karen National Revolution remembered the sacrifice his people had made since the armed resistance had begun in 1949. The KNU president used the occasion to call for national unity among ethnic people and democratic forces, the release of all political prisoners and to remain vigilant during…

Despite agreeing to a ceasefire with the Karen National Union earlier this month the Burma Army is transporting food rations, military supplies and reinforcements in the Myitta sub-township Tanintharyi Division that is currently under the control of the KNU’s Brigade 4. A Karen National Liberation Army source told Karen News that reinforcement – seven battalions from Burma Army’s Military Operations…

The New Mon State Party has signed a preliminary ceasefire agreement with the Burma government delegation yesterday. The NMSP seven member delegation was led by its Vice-Chairman, Nai Rot Sa, and met with representatives of the Burma government, led by Railways Minister Aung Min, at the Strand Hotel in Moulmein, Mon State where the ceasefire agreement paper was signed. After…

The participation of the Karen people in the decision-making process at the national level is key in preventing the Karen from being subjected to on-going forms of oppression and exploitation by the military dominated Burma government. The Karen National Union (KNU) and the Burmese government’s decision to sign the ceasefire agreement are hopeful first steps towards finding a solution to…

An ethnic Kachin leader, Dr. Htu Jar, will compete in Burma’s by-election scheduled for April 1st as an independent candidate. Dr. Htu Jar said he would run as individual representative as he had failed to get his proposed party registered for Burma’s national elections held in November 2010. “I don’t plan to form a party. Last year, I tried to…

The Karen Women’s Organisation released a statement today to say they had formed a peace committee, in accordance with the United Nations Security Council Recommendation 1325, to ensure women are represented during the peace process with the Burma Government. The Karen Women Organization statement was issued as a result of discussions held during its 2nd Central Standing Committee’s meeting after…

One woman pro-democracy activist who took the Burma government’s invitation to return home seriously is Daw San Dar Win, a teacher, who works at Burma Migrant Education Department in the Thai border town of Mae Sot. Daw San Dar Win said that she returned to Burma for family reasons and not because of political motivation. “I contacted the Burma Embassy…

Non-profit NGO clinics along the Thai-Burma border remain the best hope of healthcare for poverty struck people from Burma seeking treatment – economic migrants, refugees and internally displaced people. A dirt road bustling with activity marks the centre of Mae Tao Clinic in the Thai border town of Mae Sot. The Clinic echoes with the babble of Burmese, and Karen.…