Karen News

As Burma’s Parliament prepares for its next session, the London based pro-democracy advocates, ‘Burma Campaign UK’, called on the international community to scrutinize Burma’s upcoming annual budget as a sign of its commitment to implement reforms that benefit the people. Last year’s, President Thein Sein’s government allocated just 1.3 percent of the government budget to health, and just over 4…

The Karen National Union (KNU) made public decisions at an emergency meeting by its Central Committee this week about recent and future ‘peace talks’ with the Burma government. The KNU emergency meeting, held at a secret location in Karen State was attended by a total of 38 representatives, 35 Central Committee members and three specially invited representatives. The KNU statement…

The recent first-round of ‘peace talks’ between the Karen National Union and the Burma government in Pa-an on 12th January raised a lot of expectations within the international community, the Burmese community and among Karen people living inside Burma and those living overseas. In a series of interviews, Karen people shared with Karen News their opinion, their hopes and thoughts…

Billionaire and renown philanthropist, George Soros was the latest in a long list of dignitaries to visit Mae Tao Clinic (also known as Dr Cynthia’s Clinic) based in the Thai border town of Mae Sot. Mr Soros visited the MTC on his way back from a series of high profile meetings in Burma with government and opposition politicians, including the…

A breakaway Karen armed group, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, said in a public statement that they welcomed the recent ‘peace talks’ between the Karen National Union and the Burma government, but warned that the if the ‘talks’ are to succeed KNU fighters will have to stop their attacks on the Burma Army in Brigade 6. The statement issued from…

Burma Army battalions operating in the Tantabin Township, Taungoo District, Karen State area have forced villagers to work daily on a rotation to supply frontline bases. A local villager told Karen News that Light Infantry Battalions 376, 541, 540 and 380, under the Military Operation Command 9, have been since the first week of November 2011 until now been forcing…

The Karen National Union says at the next round of ‘peace talks’ with the Burma government they will demand the release of Padoh Mahn Nyein Maung – the jailed KNU central executive member now serving a 17-year jail sentence in Burma’s notorious Insein Prison. Padoh Saw David Taw, secretary of the KNU’s Peace Committee said. “We will demand at the…

Karen people in Theyetchaung Township, Tavoy, in southern Burma, claim they will be forcibly evicted from their homes by government authorities to make way for the construction of a dam. Htee Ler Klay (also known as Da Thway Kyauk) villagers say that on November 18, 2011, a Burmese construction company named, Tha Ba Wa Shwa Ain Lain and its senior…

A National League for Democracy member, Naw Ohn Hla, told Karen News that she will find a lawyer for Padoh Mahn Nyein Maung, the jailed Karen National Union leader currently serving a 17-year jail sentence in Burma’s notorious Insein Prison. Naw Ohn Hla said she met briefly with Padoh Mahn Nyein Maung at a special court session held in Insein…

A large turnout of Mon political leaders, civil society groups, representative from overseas and delegates from the Thai-Burma border attended the 6th Mon Affairs Union (MAU) Conference in Three Pagoda Township last week. Conference attendees urged the New Mon State Party to hold ‘peace talks’ with the Burma government. An MAU conference attendee told Karen News. “The NMSP should continue…