Articles

Burma’s National ID Cards grant relative freedom of travel, allow voting in national elections, access to official schools. Denied for decades basic government services, villagers in Karen State view Burma’s National ID Card scheme with a mix of confusion, indifference, and even fear. Some of the Karen interviewed for this story, referred to the government issued cards as ‘Burma ID…

A report by a human rights groups claims Chin Christians are facing state discrimination and being denied their religious freedom. Ethnic Chin Christians in Burma’s impoverished Chin State continue to face religious discrimination from Buddhist government authorities, according to a report released by a prominent Chin human rights organization. Chin Human Rights Organization country coordinator Salai Bawi Pi said that…

An aid worker has confirmed to Karen News that a fire broke out at Umpiem Mai Refugee Camp, Tak Province, today, burning 11 houses. A further 28 houses had their roofing removed to stop the fire from spreading. The aid worker said no one was injured. “The fire happened to occur when there was a camp meeting with NGO’s, The…

Naw K’nyaw Paw Nimrod, General Secretary of the Karen Women Organization (KWO) has been selected as the winner of the 2013 Padoh Mahn Sha Young Leader Award, on 31st January 2014, Karen Revolution Day. The award ceremony was held on the evening of the Karen 65th Revolutionary Day at Day-Pu-Noh village in the Karen National Union’s 5th Brigade in Karen…

In a move to be prepared for the national election in 2015, the Hpa-an based Phalon-Sawaw Democratic Party (PSDP) held a plenary conference to spell out the party’s policies. The PSDP is one of the four of Karen parties taking part in the 2010 election. The PSDP told the meeting held on Jan 18 in Hpa-an, Karen State, that its…

The Karen community’s in the Yangon and Irrawaddy divisions are to form a new political party, known as the Karen National Party (KNP). Initial plans to establish the party were put in place in 2013. Karen representatives met this week at Ta-Kwun-Dine village, Kyauk-Kone Township in the Irrawaddy division. The meeting was to form an executive committee of 14 members…

A new bridge over the Hong-Tha-Yaw River is to be built connecting Hlaing Kweh and Mae Tha Yaw, in Kawkareik Township. Construction of the bridge started in the first week of January 2014. The iron bridge will be 280 meters long and 7 meters wide, and it is estimated that it will take three years to construct. U Tin Hlaing…

General Mutu Say Poe, chairperson of the Karen National Union (KNU) in a speech addressed to all Karen people to mark the 65th Karen Revolution Day, called for a peaceful solution to the civil war that it has fought for the last six decades. Thousands of Karen people made their way from Thailand, from overseas and within Burma to sites…

The Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) will hold a joint Military Parade for the first time to mark the 65th anniversary of the Karen Revolution Day on Friday January 31. Saw Moshay, the DKBA’s deputy chief-of-staff told Karen News that the joint parade would be held at the KNLA’s 7th Brigade headquarters that…

In a show of unity and strength representatives from 17 armed resistance groups met in Karen State to discuss a nationwide ceasefire agreement for Burma. The ethnic armed groups released a statement claiming the conference that ran over five days from 20 to 25 January and held at Law Khee Lar, Karen State was a success. The ethnic armed group…