Karen News

The 26 September statement by the junta was incoherent and self-pitying. With a remarkable lack of self-awareness it complained that the people had risen up against the junta when it had only tried to “peacefully end the political issues triggered by voting fraud in the multiparty democratic general election held in 2020.” This conveniently omitted to mention that the 2020…

Currently, the junta only fully controls Yangon and Ayeyarwady regions. Ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) and People Defence Forces (PDFs) control territory in all of the other states and regions in the country. Padoh Saw Kler Say said: “Given the current circumstances, I believe it’s inappropriate to conduct a census. The reason is that it should not be conducted when there…

The 150 junta troops manning the base abandoned it and fled on 25 September, according to Comrade Myo Gyi from Myeik District PDF Column 2. He said to the Karen Information Center(KIC): “Our allied forces frequently attacked that base. We often conduct attacks using drones, light weapons, and heavy artillery. Since the base is far from the Union highway, it’s…

U Moe Kyaw, a spokesperson for the Yaung Chi Oo Workers’ Association (YCOWA), a nonprofit organisation based in Thailand’s Mae Sot that helps Burmese migrant workers, explained that the Thai Government had approved of three key measures for Myanmar migrant workers. These new measures will apply to both illegal migrant workers and those who came under the Memorandum of Understanding…

The Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), the armed wing of the Karen National Union (KNU), and its allied forces currently control the Myawaddy to Kawkareik section of the Asia Highway and have closed it. At the meeting other Karen armed organisations requested permission to use the road and urged the KNLA to reopen it. An officer from an armed organisation…

After the floodwaters receded aid workers were able to get to formerly flooded areas, but there are still many obstacles to assisting the flood victims, according to local civil relief organisations. Assessing the extent of the flood damage remains a challenge, with some villages in Taungoo Township still dealing with remaining floodwater and mud, travel restrictions imposed by the junta…

The junta’s Infantry Battalions (IBs) 28, 338 and 339 in Hlaingbwe Town have each received two batches of reinforcements consisting of 70 conscripts each, who are being deployed after having completed a three-month military training programme. This means that a total of 420 conscripts have been deployed across the three Hlaingbwe-based battalions, according to a Hlaingbwe resident who is close…

By law any visitors staying overnight in someone else’s home need to be registered on the overnight guest registration list. Prior to the coup overnight guest lists were no longer checked, but since the coup they are being frequently checked and punishments are meted out if overnight guest lists are not properly filled out. A resident of Dawei City said…

Since 13 September, rising water levels in the Sittaung River have flooded approximately 100 villages in Mone Township, affecting nearly 50,000 residents. Junta soldiers prevented aid, from both local civil society organisations (CSOs) and CSOs based elsewhere in the country, from reaching flood victims by firing warning shots, seizing aid materials, and threatening those delivering aid with artillery shelling. This…

The call came in a 17 September statement by the SAC-M, which describes itself as: “An independent group of international human rights experts working to support the peoples of Myanmar in their fight for peace, genuine democracy, justice and accountability.” Typhoon Yagi, the most powerful storm to hit Asia so far this year, made landfall in northern Vietnam on 7…