Articles

Padoh Kwe Htoo Win, the Karen National Union’s general secretary, in an exclusive interview with Karen News explains his organization position on development and land ownership. “Everyone wants development but when there is development, there is always a price to pay. Do you want roads, if you want roads, you will have to cut down trees. Do you want electricity,…

The Karen National Union’s general secretary, Padoh Kwe Htoo Win, in an exclusive interview with Karen News explains why now is not the right time to return refugees or displaced people. “When there is no more fighting and no more human right violations, they [displaced people] can start to rebuild their lives. Since we don’t have a concrete ceasefire, we…

Padoh Kwe Htoo Win, the Karen National Union’s general secretary, in an exclusive interview with Karen News explains his organization position on the peace process with the Burma government, repatriation of refugees and land ownership. In part one of a three part series Padoh Kwe Htoo Win talks about the peace process. Padoh Kwe Htoo Win said that despite three…

More than 150 representatives and observers from 40 Karen organizations from inside Burma, along the Thai-Burma border and overseas who took part in the 9th Karen Unity Seminar voiced their concern that there has been a significant decrease in humanitarian aid for communities at risk in Karen state. Karen representatives at the Seminar expressed their concerns that the Karen National…

More than 150 representatives from 40 different Karen organizations attended the 9th Karen National Unity Seminar held from May 27 to 31 in Karen State. The seminar discussed ways to strengthen unity among all Karen people in the context of the current political situation in Burma. Seminar attendees confirmed their commitment to building national unity on the basis of ethnic…

Colonel Ner Dah Mya, a son of General Saw Bo Mya, met and discussed with Burmese civil society groups in Sydney during a recent visit to Australia. The Australian Karen Organization (AKO) organized the meeting and discussion that was attended by 30 people from Burma including ethnic nationalities such as Kachin, Mon and Karen living in Sydney. Members of the…

Nant Thandar Aung from the Rangoon based Karen Women Empowerment Group (KEWG) is the winner of the 2012 Pado Mahn Sha Young Leader Award. The Phan Foundation announced its award winner at the 9th anniversary of Karen Unity Seminar held in the Karen National Union’s Hpa-an District on May 31. Saw Say Say Phan presenting the award to Nant Thandar…

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi attended the 8th anniversary of the memorial lighting prayer service for people who have died from HIV/AIDS held at Inn Yar Lake Hotel last week. Speaking at the memorial service, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi urged people not to discriminate against people with HIV. Speaking at the ceremony, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said. “People…

Karen State government officials, representatives from Burma based civil society organizations and border based community based organizations met for two days in Hpa-an on 21-22 May and reached an agreement to work together to help Karen communities that have been affected by six decades of conflict. The meeting agreed to five points to enable building a peaceful and a developed…

The Burma Army has issued an ultimatum to Karen ethnic armed groups to remove their flags by midday Wednesday or suffer the consequences. The Commander of Burma Army Light Infantry Division, Brigadier General Htin Maw Tun, has ordered armed groups in the Myawaddy district to take down their organizations’ flags that are flying at vacant lands owned by the organization…