Karen News

Naw Wah Ku Shee, Coordinator with the Karen Peace Support Network (KPSN) told Karen News without changes to the 2008 Constitution the military retain its stranglehold on the political process. “I don’t have much hope [on the election] because this will still be under the 2008 constitution. Even a strong party like the NLD couldn’t make any significant changes during…

The announcement was made after the UNDP’s transcript submitted to the Union Election Commission (UEC) about their policies and position was edited. David Hla Myint, chairperson of the UNDP told Karen News they did not want their party’s policies and position to be compromised. “We don’t want the Union Election Commission to edit the policies of any political party in…

On October 1, 2020, the Burma Army’s Tatmadaw Information Team reported they had arrested two people involved in the killing of its two soldiers and accused them of also planting booby traps under the corpses that killed another three soldiers and wounded five more. The Tatmadaw Information Team said initial interrogation had uncovered the two killers are soldiers from the…

By Sa Isue Villagers told Karen News, Tamadaw (Burma Army) soldiers came to the area on February 17, this year and are now permanent in two areas locally know as Lu Koh Hta and Kler Klo. Villagers fear as these two areas are located in the Palu Village Tract of Myawaddy Township and are under the control of two Karen…

By Laeyudra Greely* For the past few decades, after the birth of the Karen revolution and its founders’ failure to accomplish its sole purpose of securing the sovereignty of Kawthoolei within their lifetime, there has been little progress, if any at all. With the Karen plight so prolonged to the point where it became the world’s longest ongoing conflict, the…

Hundreds of camp residents from the Tham Hin refugee camp gathered to demand fair treatment by camp officials toward refugees after travel in and out of the camps were restricted. Refugees accused of breaking the tightened restrictions were punished by camp officials, including corporal punishment and fines. A Tham Hin camp resident spoke to Karen News (with the condition of…

By Klo Kwe Moo Kham* I shall begin by making two preliminary comments. The first is the meanings of Ba U Gyi’s three have varied in use over time and context, and all have been adopted by our leaders throughout the last seven decades in one form or another. My second comment is that selection of which strategy is suitable…

Phil Thornton one of the judges said the writing was thought provoking and covered important issues for the Karen’s current political struggle. “Many of the essays identified weaknesses in the KNU’s approach to the National Ceasefire Agreement process. Others questioned the KNU’s political structures and its capacity to handle negotiations with the Burma military use of tactics that locked Karen…

By Sa Isue In a statement released before the Union Peace Conference- 21st Century Panglong 4th meeting held in Nay Pyi Taw from August 19 to 21, the armed wing of the Karen National Union (KNU), the Karen National Liberal Army (KNLA) said the government by excluding northern ethnic armed groups had deviated from building a genuine peace. The KNLA…

The arrested organizers, Sa Thein Saw Min and Saw Hser Kwa Lar were taken into custody and now face charges under the notorious Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Act. The Karen Peace Support Network issue a statement condemning the arrest of organizers for commemoration of 70th Karen Martyrs’ Day in Rangoon on August 12, 2020 and calling for the charges…