The Karen National Union (KNU) met with officials from the Karen State Government to discuss cooperation on solving ongoing and future land issues on 6 December at the Karen State Government office. Karen State Government officials including the Security and Border Affairs Minister Colonel Aung Lwin and the Agriculture, Livestock, and Irrigation Minister Saw Myint Oo met with the KNU…
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The International Day of Persons with Disability was celebrated for the first time in honor of Karen villagers and soldiers who lost limbs during Burma’s civil war. The ceremony was held at Maw Per Kho village, Hlaing Bwe Township of Pa-an District. Saw Nay Kaw, an organizer of the event from the Karen Environmental and Social Action Network (KESAN) told…
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The Free Burma Rangers released a report documenting human rights abuses during fighting between the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) and the Burma Army and its militia, the Border Guard Force on Karen villagers. FBR state that the villagers in the Karen National Liberation Army’s 7 brigade region have yet to find respite from the intermitted clashes between the [breakaway]…
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The Phan Foundation has issued a final call for nominations for the annual Padoh Mahn Sha Young Leader Award for 2016 – the closing date is December 31, 2016. Slone Phan, Director of the Phan Foundation and the youngest son of Padoh Mahn Sha said in the statement that the award launched in memory of his father, who was murdered…
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A statement released by the Shan Human Rights Foundation on December 6, 2016, details the torture and shooting of villagers in northern Shan State. The statement alleged that three villagers were “tortured for speaking loudly.” The SHRF report that on “November 13, 2016, three villagers, including a 16-year-old boy, were badly beaten by Burma Army troops of LIB 119 in…
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The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) recently gave training on the law of armed conflict (LOAC) to senior military leaders of the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA). Over 40 military leaders from the KNLA under the KNU Brigade 7 attended the training, which was held in an area under the control of the Karen National Union (KNU) Brigade…
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Three Karen ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) and four Karen political parties held their first federalism workshop at Lay Kay Kaw Myothit in Myawaddy Township, Karen State from 29 to 30 November. Saw Tar Mu Lar, the Karen National Union (KNU) Chairman’s Office Secretary, said: “People are very keen to know about this issue [federalism]. We won’t get what we want…
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Karen Members of Parliament (MPs) will lead the first Naypyidaw Karen New Year Festival when the 79th New Year Festival is held at the MCC-2 Hall in Naypidaw on 29 December. Saw Shar Phaung Awar, the Naypyidaw Karen New Year Organising Committee Joint Secretary told Karen News that it was decided to hold the festival in Naypyidaw at a meeting…
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KWINYAR VILLAGE, Ayeyarwady Region – On a recent November morning, farmer Soe Myint Aung was busy collecting rice from his harvester and loading it into bags. It is heavy work but still he knows he is lucky; with 17 acres of paddy field situated along a road in Kwinyar Village, in Kangyidaunt Township, he can afford to own a harvester.…
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Burma security forces crackdown on “terrorists’ in the western Rakhine State have forced at least 10,000 Rohingya to take refuge in Bangladesh in recent weeks, according to the United Nations. Vivian Tan, a spokeswoman for the United Nation High Commissioner for Refugee’s Bangkok office said in AFP report. “Based on reports by various humanitarian agencies, we estimate that there could…
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