Karen News

The Karen National Union has taken a tougher stance and banned all Italian-Thai Development Company vehicles from using the Tavoy-Kanchanaburi road that links southern Burma to Kanchanaburi in Thailand. A KNU official (who requested that their name not be used) told Karen News that the KNU informed the Italian-Thai Development (ITD) Company representatives that they travel and use of the…

A Karen political party, Plao-Swaw Democratic Party (PSDP) urged the European Union to help civilians in Papun, Kyain Seikygi and southern Kawkariek Township, Karen state. The request comes after Ms Kristalina Georgieva, the EU Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, officially visited Burma in early September and promised 22 euro million in aid for civilians living in…

Flooding caused by heavy monsoon rains killed two residents of Mae La refugee camp this week. According to Saw Ah Mu, the camp security officer, Saw Pe Klay 19, a high school student, was swept away by the fast floodwaters in the Htee Nu stream as he was crossing on his way to school. Saw Ah Mu said that Saw…

Karen soldiers attacked and destroyed Burma Army food supplies on a controversial highway construction linking southern Burma to Thailand. A source from the Karen National Liberation Army’s 4th Brigade told Karen News, that on September 10, KNLA soldiers burnt and destroyed Burma Army rations that were being transported by a civilian truck commandeered by the army. The KNLA source said…

The US special envoy and policy coordinator for Burma, Mr Derek Mitchell, urged the recently elected government to investigate human rights abuses reported in ethnic area as a first step for national reconciliation. After concluding his first trip to Burma, Mr Mitchell read out a press statement that stated he “affirmed the government on the importance of establishing a legitimate…

In a media statement released yesterday, the Karen National Union say they have reason to believe the Burma government and its armed militia, the Border Guard Force, plotted to smear the KNU as drug runners. The KNU were responding to media reports in Thai newspapers and on television that two men arrested by border patrol police and a village headman…

The Karen National Union said it had grave doubts that the Burma government’s recent declaration to European officials that it was wanted peace with ethnic groups was a blatant attempt to please the international community. Kristalina Georgieva, the European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, recently returned from Burma after a two-day humanitarian visit told reporters in…

Earlier this month Thai authorities in Tak province instructed Nu Po refugee camp officials to list all residents and sort them into three categories. Saw Thoo Lei Doh Soe, secretary of Nu Po camp committee said the instruction from the provincial Tak officials to the Thai administrators in the camp was to list refugees into the following three categories –…

The United States Special Envoy and Policy Coordinator for Burma, Derek Mitchell sees the current Burma political situation as a work-in-progress, according to the National League for Democracy. NLD spokesman U Ohn Kyaing said that Mr. Mitchell made that statement after meeting with members of NLD central executive committee and the Committee Representing People’s Parliament at Aung San Suu Kyi’s…

A severe influenza outbreak among school children in Si Poe Khee village, Pai Kyone Township last week has so far infected more than 40 children. Saw Mu Ka Paw, the Si Poe Khee school’s head master said many children were unable to attend school and people are worried the influenza will infect adults. “We don’t have any clinic in our…