Articles

A group of environmental activists rode bikes from Rangoon to Dawei to show their support to the estimated 23,000 villagers about to be evicted to make way for the controversial $63 billion Dawei development project planned for the region. Lwin Lwin from Tavoyan Voice, a community based group spoke to Karen News. “14 people including a Tavoyan woman from the…

KNU President, General Mutu Say Poe, has called for continued ethnic Karen unity while paying respects to the Karen people in a speech marking the 64th anniversary of Karen Revolutionary Resistance Day. In the speech, General Mutu Say Poe acknowledged the sacrifice of the Karen people in their decades-long conflict with Burma’s military. “In the period of 64 years of…

Civil society groups voiced their disappointment that the government ministers appointed to its Peace Committee failed to address many of the questions that representatives from 64 community-based-organisations brought to a meeting held at the Myanmar Peace Centre on Sunday. Nan Thandar Aung, a representative from the Karen Women Action Group (KWAG) who was at the meeting, spoke to Karen News.…

Fighting broke out between the government’s Border Guard Force militia and the Karen National Liberation Army close to Mae La Hta village in Papun Township, Karen State. The conflict erupted last week wounding two in the conflict – a KNLA soldier and a civilian. KNLA sources said militia from Border Guard Force battalion 1014 based at Mae Seik village attacked…

Kachin activists based in Thailand demonstrated in front of both the US and China consulates in Chiang Mai calling for an end to the Burma Army offensive in Kachin State Friday last week. The protest lasted around 20 minutes at the Chinese consulate before continuing at the US consulate. Speaking to Karen News, Ma Hsai Zin, a member of the…

Despite ceasefire agreements the Burma is forcing Karen civilians to use their private vehicles to transport military supplies to and from army camps. Villagers allege that last week the Burma Army forcibly took three civilian pickup trucks in the Waw Lay area, Myawaddy Township in Karen State to transport supplies. Burma Army troops from 310th and 275th Infantry Battalions, under…

The US has announced its resettlement program for refugees from Burma is to stop in June this year. The US Ambassador to Thailand, David Robinson visited Mae Lae refugee camp on Friday and told refugees that his country’s resettlement program for refugees from Burma will stop on June 5, 2013. Saw Tha Kae, vice chairperson of the Mae La Camp…

Members of Burma’s main opposition party, the National League for Democracy, visited the Thai border town of Mae Sot to discuss education needs of migrant workers’ children living in the border region. The National League for Democracy sent an education network led by U Phyo Min Thein to visit Mae Tao Clinic that is located in the Thai border town…

Speaking at ceremony held in Rangoon to honour retired Karen university teachers, professor Saw Si Thet Paw, told the large gathering that Karen people were in danger of losing their ability to speak their native languages. Speaking to Karen News, Professor Saw Si Thet Paw said. “When I started at the school, Karen people from Insein and Kyit Myin Taing…

Derek Mitchell, the US Ambassador to Burma met with key Karen National Union members in Pa-an (Hpa-an) earlier this month. KNU officials said a number of issues were discussed with Ambassador Mitchell, including, the current political climate, the process of the KNU and government ceasefires with ethnic armed groups and the ethnic alliances. The KNU general secretary, Padoh Saw Kweh…